Walkout averted, Convention Center stagehands approve contract

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.philly.com/philly/hp/news_update/20080102_Walkout_averted__Convention_Center_stagehands_vote_on_contract_this_morning.html

By Jane M. Von Bergen

INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

In a quick turnaround, union stagehands today ratified a three-year contract that preserves most of their work at the Pennsylvania Convention Center while giving customers more flexibility in setting up their equipment.

The vote came this afternoon, barely 12 hours after the union - International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees Local 8 - and Elliot-Lewis Corp., the company that supplies labor at the center, reached an agreement at 1:30 a.m.

"This is a gigantic step forward for the building," said James Gentile, vice president of Elliot-Lewis Corp.

"This agreement makes it easier for the customer to come into the building and hold meetings and do a lot of the AV work in the meeting room, which had been one of the sources of aggravation. Customers had complained about it."

The stagehands' contract had expired at the stroke of the new year, but the union agreed to hold off on any walkout until after the Mummers finished their New Year's Day performance at the Convention Center.

Even as the Mummers strutted on golden slippers for a sold-out show, union and management negotiators did their own dance at the bargaining table.

FULL story at link.