Aramark workers who staff the Downtown Phoenix campus Panda Express walked out on March 26 due to lack of air conditioning or other adequate cooling devices.
UNITE HERE Local 11, a union representing Aramark workers, sent a formal complaint on the same day to state regulators. The walkout followed a meeting with the restaurant's leadership where workers voiced their concerns about their working conditions.
Dan Coss, a cook at the fast food restaurant, said he decided to walk out because he is tired of experiencing headaches, nausea and dizziness as a result of the heat, which he said is getting progressively worse.
Coss added he leaves work feeling mentally and physically exhausted.
"I don't want to come to work, but I've got to because I've got to support my family," Coss said. "I've been in the fast food business or restaurants for over 35 years, and this is one of the worst conditions I've been working in."
Recently, Arizona hit the hundreds in temperature, which is unusually high for the desert in early months. According to The Arizona Republic, March 2026 has been the hottest March recorded since the 19th century.
Vanessa Martinez, a cook at the Panda Express location, said she and her co-workers tried to address their concerns in the past but were met with "Band-Aid" fixes, with the establishment adding fans and telling them to take breaks.
She said working in an environment without proper air conditioning has been suffocating. She has consistently gotten nauseous and dizzy because of the heat.
Martinez said she was recently hospitalized for dehydration caused by the conditions.
"I just want the workers to be comfortable. I want myself to be comfortable," Martinez said. "There are solutions. We just have to work together to find them."
READ MORE: ASU dining hall workers strike in Tempe, Phoenix amid Aramark contract negotiations
Martinez and Coss both contributed to the complaint, which requested an on-site inspection of the workplace from the Arizona Division of Occupational Safety and Health.
A spokesperson for ADOSH said the situation is under investigation.
The complaint alleges that Aramark, ASU's food service provider, and the University violated ADOSH's General Duty Clause by not providing working air conditioning or other cooling devices.
According to the complaint, the air conditioning system in the downtown Phoenix Panda Express has been out of service, malfunctioning or ineffective since as early as mid-March 2025.
Martinez says in the complaint that management agreed to give workers fans and would make an effort in repairing the air conditioning system.
However, the complaint says workers were told because the building is owned and managed by ASU, Aramark could not replace the current A/C unit if needed.
Martinez also says in the complaint that the company installed four fans; however, they did little in reducing the facility's overall temperature.
The complaint says Martinez witnessed ASU maintenance visit twice and attempt to inspect or fix the A/C unit.
Three of the workers in the complaint say the company never conducted heat safety training for workers.
Between December 2025 and March 16, 2026, the previously installed fans were removed from the facility, according to the workers cited in the complaint.
The complaint also includes allegations from two other employees of symptoms from heat-related illnesses, such as dizziness, headaches, nausea and feeling faint.
In a written statement, an Aramark spokesperson said the company is committed to providing employees with a safe environment.
The company is working with the University to investigate the matter and "will take the appropriate steps to address the situation," the spokesperson wrote.
A University spokesperson declined to comment.
Edited by Natalia Rodriguez, Senna James, Sophia Braccio and Pippa Fung.
Reach the reporter at alillest@asu.edu and follow @allylillestol on X.
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Allison Lillestol is a reporter for the community and culture desk. She is in her 4th semester with the State Press. She also works for Arizona PBS.
