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03.25.2008 2:20 pm

Labor strife leads Dems to change dinner venue

By Jake Wagman
St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The Missouri Democratic Party will move its signature gala away from the America’s Center because of the facility’s dispute with unions.

On Monday, the downtown St. Louis convention center locked out three locals representing audio-visual workers, the culmination of 16-months of discussions that have failed to yield a resolution.

In response to the lockout, the state Democratic Party - which counts labor as a core constituency group - said today that it will move its annual Jefferson-Jackson Dinner from the America’s Center to the Renaissance Grand Hotel - just across the street.

The move is a “show of respect” to the unions that have been shut out, party Chairman John J. Temporiti wrote to supporters today.

The April 5 dinner - featuring an annual who’s who of Show-Me Democrats - will this year honor three local lions of the party: former U.S. Sen. Jean Carnahan, and former U.S. Reps. Dick Gephardt and Bill Clay.

The dispute with the electrical and stage worker unions centers on efforts by the Convention and Visitors Bureau, which runs the America’s Center, to cut costs and eliminate “labor brokers” that act as middlemen.

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Blog Comments: Rules of the Road

I kinda saw this coming when the news broke yesterday about the hassles Am Ctr was giving the Union folks.

— suzyjax
3:01 pm March 25th, 2008

Is there only one way that hassles can travel, suzy?

— Amazedbythelunacy
4:22 pm March 25th, 2008

everyone knows the democrats and organized labor have been in bed with each other since organized labor was formed. no surprise here. hang tough america’s center. now is not the time for strikes with the economy like it is. carpenter’s union changed their work methods several years ago and it has done nothing but help them get more work. of course they were called scabs by the other unions. hang tough carpenter’s union. just my two cents worth.

— railroadman
4:53 pm March 25th, 2008

A cancellation this late will hurt the dems more than the American Center as contracts typically indicate that cancellation due to union strikes does not excuse performance. Stated differently, the state democratic party will be paying for this event twice.

— just a thought
5:02 pm March 25th, 2008

These union hacks would rather run St. Louis into the ground than give an inch on work rules. The RFT’s Kristen Hinman did a great piece in the RFT about this last year. Read it and weep.

http://www.riverfronttimes.com/2007-05-16/news/bad-blood/

— Nick Kasoff
7:04 pm March 25th, 2008

I’ve had too many bad experiences with Local 1 electricians to give them the benefit of the doubt here. All they’re really doing is turning customers away. Win the battle, lose the war. Way to go, guys.

— Construction Manager
7:43 pm March 25th, 2008

Hang tough IBEW. You’ve won these battles before. This city doesn’t need the CVC outsourcing work to gypsy contractors from Arizona.

Jake..what’s a “labor broker”?
This isn’t just a union issue…The CVC is shutting out local contractors too.

— Garrison
4:20 am March 26th, 2008

What unions are strong, the country is strong. With the political environment directed at diminishing unions as well as unions causing themselves problems, it’s just another reason the American middle and labor class are worse off than our union parents were.

— Barbara
7:32 am March 26th, 2008

Hang in there Union members. If you need support ask the Lohr drivers that are no longer employed. Go ahead, cut of your nose to spite your face some more.

Garrison read the article. A labor broker hires folks on behalf of the conventions being held at the center. Typical useless position that exists to employ someone of union hierarchy’s deadbeat brother in law .

— Amazedbythelunacy
9:36 am March 26th, 2008

Looney…ask the Writer’s Guild about hanging tough.
You don’t have a clue what a “labor broker” is anymore than Jake.

— Garrison
1:45 pm March 26th, 2008
Jake Wagman