PHILADELPHIA— After Harrisburg, PA lawmakers refused to allocate any money for a $464 million expansion of the convention center here due to ongoing labor disputes, some of the center’s board members have decided to take the negotiating lead with the carpenters, the lone union holdout, to create a new work agreement. Despite six weeks of effort, Mayor Street was unable to persuade the carpenters union to accept new work rules at the center, which is plagued by show exhibitors complaints of surly workers and high costs. This week, Robert Williams, the Convention Centers interim president, met for 90 minutes with the head of the carpenters union— the first face-to-face meeting between Carpenter Union Chief Ed Coryell Sr. and any Convention Center official since August. Immediately following the meeting, Coryell said, “I honestly believe [a deal]is going to get done.” However, he offered no projections as to when that would be, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Coryell has reiterated his position numerous times, saying he wants to sign a deal but only after adding “modifying language” to the current agreement. For instance, he wants assurances that some of the cost-saving changes would be passed onto the conventions that use the center. He also wants to discuss the changes with the group of trade-show contractors with whom his union holds a collective-bargaining agreement. SOURCE: Philadelphia Inquirer
