Treatment of Service Workers at UFC Event

Hey everyone, welcome back to News Girls. As you guys all know, a couple wee ago, R and I went to DC to cover Trump's UFC fight on the White House lawn. and today we're actually speaking with someone who worked inside UFC CEO Dana White's VIP Sites for the event. So she somehow avoid signing an NDA and is sharing with us what she kind of witnessed behind the scenes for this event. Her name is Sarah and she didn't know she was to be working at this UFC event. She's been a cater waiter for a decade so she's very experienced. but then her catering company was tasked with this event, so she had to go. and we don't think her allegations are the most scathing condemnation of Trump or the UFC or anything. but it's just interesting. It's like little micro things that make you just kind of question who these people are and patriotic are they? How much do they care about like Americans? No, exactly. So Sarah worked two days of this event and The first day she worked in the EVIP suuite, which was Dana White's suite. And she said that she was randomly selected to work in the EVIP suite And she says she thinks she was randomly selected because she noticed that she was the only white person. They And when she went to the suite, she also noticed that the three other bartenders waitresses that were working with her were very magified. So they were blonde. She said beautiful women in these like short skirts and just dressed to the tens. She said she did not look like them at all. She has tattoos and she was actually told to hide behind a curtain the entire time just because she didn't like them Yeah, Dana White specifically told her to hide behind a curtain, which seems to app like because she isn't a more sexualized waitress, like she's not allowed to be seen in his suite And then the second day was when Mabel and I were there ' this was the fight day. And I guess Dana White didn't have a sueite that day. So she was working the event where we were where there was like VIPs with the fans. And she it was so hot. L we remember walking around like I remember just like sweating and she kept trying to give like active duty officers and armed personnel. There were so many police officers National Guard was like everyone everywhere. She tried to give them water but kept getting in trouble for wanting to give them water when It was like baking hot Exactly. And that kind of goes to the point that Ren made at the beginning where this was billed as such a patriotic event, but we're not feeding and giving water to our service members. It just kind of makes you question the lens through which you would see this event. So yeah, exactly. Like if we're not taking care of the people who are keeping us safe In this case, extremely directly, but like our veterans, then who do we care about as Americans, especially as we celebrate two hundred fifty years of America So we will now You can hear from Sarah Sarah's own experience. like what it was like to work this UFC fight at the White House. So Sarah, thank you so much for joining us today. So we understand you worked both nights at the White House for the UFC like spectacle. Can you tell us about the first night you were there? what happened So the first day that I was there was kind of basically just set up And I was pulled randomly to work The client, AK Dana White Suite U and then when I went over there, justust kind of sat around for like six hours and did not do anything And then once Dana White and the fighters were present in his suite, I was asked to stand behind a curtain and not be seen Um specifically by the client AK Dite. So the entire rest of the evening, I just kind of stood behind Carton And the environment. L like who else were you working with? What did wereere they asked to stand behind a curtain? Why do you think it was you? Can you explain where you were So I was working with four other females, three of them being bartenders or VIP concierge who were not contracted with my catering company. They were just telling me that I wasn't allowed to come into the VP the EVIP suite. I had to sit outside And they'll come get me if they need anything And every time like a service worker like Secretervice up to me and said, hey, can I get some water? I would have to ask them, hey, can I get some water And they would say, no, they're supposed to go elsewhere for that This is only for, you know Dana White and his his guests or whatever. And then at one point, there was just a couple bartenders that weren't very kind to me, but just telling me that if I need to hide from the elements, I can, but not when there's people in sight. And how were the other women dressed? L were they dressed like you, like a typical cater waiter?? The three bartenders or VIP couciers were dressed in like mini golf skirts and tank top. U and they were like full glam, u beauty status and then I was in all black long sleeve button up shirt with a tie and long pants, long apron all the way to the before. And you Mentioned that you were randomly selected and you kind of had a theory as to why you were randomly selected. Can you share why So I have a theory that I was randomly selected because I was the only white female working this event. in VIP, which is the original place that I was scheduled to work Every other catering. worker was of biracial or mixed or not Caucasian What was Dana White like? So you were in was it was called like the VIP Site? Like can you tell us what I know our audience would love to hear what he's like His specific VIP suite was called EVIP, which was the executive VIP. So there was VIP for the general contractors and those guests and then there was his own suite with his personal guests there, but I never got to see him or like interact with him other than him telling us to behind the curtain Right, because you mentioned all the orders were kind of coming from him when you asked who is saying all of these things and you were told that everything was coming from him. And so after how long were you there? And then after that You said you contemplated kind of ending your contract, but you decided to come in the next day as well So I was there for twelve hours the first day U from like noon to midnight, essentially And then I contemplated not coming back because I was treated so poorly by the three girls. executive VIP concierge I was treated poorly by them. specifically because they kept telling us not to give service workers like armed personnel, secret serervice, DEA FBI, they were coming up to me for water and food and I was specifically told to deny them food and water buy those free gs, ye S song sensitive because it was so hot. Mabbe and I were there, we know it was like baking hot. And so then that's a good segue into day two becausecause that ends up being, can you tell us about your day too So they ended up closing the EVIP suite, which is the executive VIP Site directly behind the scenage And so then I worked the regular VIP stage area the second day And it was even hotter that day So I was seeing more of the like I and the park services and the Rangers and all of these police force, even the canine units were in there just to like get their dogs water and to get themumb water and to sit down and tide away from the elements specifically the one hundred and seven degree E and direct sunlight and we werere told to ask them to leave and we weren't allowed to serve them food or water as well which is so sururprising because when Ron and I were there, that was something that we noticed that there were just so many serervice members, so many cops, they were everywhere just because Obviously they wanted to ensure that the event was safe. Why do you think you were told not to serve them I was told not to serve them specifically from the clients, like air quote client that they are not guests, they are workers. so like appreciate the job, they're keeping us safe. and we talked about this before. like there was a foiled but the attempted bombing at this event. So there' they were doing really important work keeping us safe, but like couldn't get water. that seems inssane. So how do you like looking back at these two days, would you ever want to work another event like this with the UFC or with the White House No, absolutely not I don't think that I was treated correct like right as well as any one of my colleagues alongside like service workers armed personnel, I come from very heavily Armed Force family. and if they were working that event in any capacity, I would feel horrible for them. Well, you had also mentioned that Their salaries come from our tax dollars. And obviously, this event was kind of being touted as something that none of our tax dollars were paying for was completely paid for by the UFC we were paying for these armed forces to be present and We weren't giving them food and water Yeah. it kind of blew my mind because I believe the ratio from like both days The ratio of like armed personnel or staff to attendee was probably around like ten to one Wow It was it was insane. Like the amount of workers that were working behind the scenes to pull this off to the thousandousand people that I was looking at in my front view It doesn't compare at all I know what I was getting paid But I'm just a service worker. I'm not an armed personnel comes from a three hundred and sixty five day year salary. We for tuning into another episode of News Girls Don't forget to follow us on Substack, podcasts, YouTube, Instagram, TikTok, all the places, so you never miss anything from us H. Oh k