US – A sweeping proposal to consolidate the unions at McCormick Place and turn their workers into public employees under the oversight of the convention center’s management was unveiled on 11 January. The goal was to lower costs.
The proposal would also authorize the agency to look at the books of contractors and show organisers to ensure that labour costs are accurately passed on to exhibitors. It would also exempt the Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority (MPEA) from any direct labour contracts between the unions and service contractors.
The five unions with jurisdiction over McCormick Place and Navy Pier would be condensed into three units. One unit would handle move-in and move-out work. The second would perform assembly tasks. The third would handle electrical work.
The proposal will be introduced as a bill in the Illinois General Assembly.
MPEA chairman John Gates said the changes, while radical, were needed quickly in order to get Chicago’s trade show business back on track. “Convention business in Chicago is at a crossroads,” he said. “The many stakeholders in Chicago's vitally important convention industry must do what it takes to stay competitive and provide better value to customers.” Gates said the alternative was to “continue to operate at a competitive disadvantage.
“By modernizing the work rules for a few hundred workers in one building, cutting management and increasing transparency, we can preserve and expand the 65,000 jobs that our industry supports,” said Gates.
McCormick Place offers 2.6 million square feet of prime exhibit space tops the list of Exhibition World partner Trade Show Executive's ranking of the world’s top convention centres.
