Rosemont, IL – The new collective bargaining agreements recently announced between two labor unions and the general service contractors serving Chicago’s McCormick Place are also big news in Rosemont. Terms of the contract also apply to shows held at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center in Rosemont with its exclusive general service contractor, Rosemont Exposition Services, according to Dave Houston, RES president and general manager.
The five-year collective bargaining agreement with the United Steelworkers Local 17 Decorators Union and the Ironworkers Local 136 Riggers Union became effective July 1st. (See Trade Show Executive magazine June, August and September or go to Trade Show Executive magazine’s Vault of Eclips ® Breaking News at www.tradeshowexecutive.com/The Vault_main.asp?id=286)
The agreement was hailed as a major step in boosting the trade show business in the Chicago area and was credited in part with the National Restaurant Association’s decision to keep its annual food show at McCormick Place. The Precision Metalforming Association is using the new labor agreement at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center as a selling point to exhibitors for next year’s METALFORM show. The Precision Metalforming Association has held 16 of its 21 METALFORM shows at the Rosemont facility. The 2007 show runs March 25-28.
The new labor contract with Local 136 Riggers allows more booth assembly to be performed by two-man crews rather than three; bills the first four hours after the break of a show during the normal work week (M-F) as straight time; pays Saturday hours as time-and-a-half rather than double time. In addition, a separate agreement with the Decorators union includes similar changes to straight-time windows and crew size.
Reach Dave Houston, president and general manager of RES at (847)993-4654 or dhouston@rosemontexpo.com; Amy Primiano, exhibition manager, PMA, at (216)901-8800 x102 or aprimiano@pma.org.
