Getting it Straight on Labor Broker Fees
Your October issue stated that one of the key points of the new labor agreement at the Pennsylvania Convention Center is that, “Labor reports to an independent labor broker, who ‘sells’ labor to general contractors at cost. The broker is paid a set fee by the center's management.” (See “The Philadelphia Story,” page 44.)
Labor does report to the new labor broker, Elliott-Lewis Corp. Elliott-Lewis controls the labor call and oversees all payrolls, providing one-stop shopping for show decorators and their clients. The center, however, does not pay Elliott-Lewis a set management fee.
The article also misstated that Philadelphia hosted a record 27 shows that brought 277 million delegates to the city in 2002, and 18 shows in 2003, expected to attract 170 million visitors. The delegates/visitors numbers should have been dollar figures.
Jack Ferguson
Vice President, Convention Division
Philadelphia CVB
Editor's Note: We apologize for the error in reporting the visitor and dollar statistics.
The statement that the labor broker at the Pennsylvania Convention Center is paid a fee from the center comes from page 50 of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority Report, published in June 2002: “The PCCA should pay the new labor broker a fixed management fee. … The broker should sell the services of the Teamsters, Laborers, Carpenters, and Riggers to the show contractors at cost.”
The report was prepared by the Econsult Corp. to determine how to fix problems at the center. David Crawford, Econsult president, said as we went to press that all “major” recommendations in the report had been accepted by the PCCA. It was our error to assume that those accepted recommendations included the center's paying the broker a fee. Readers who want more details on on the labor broker should contact the bureau.
Another Interesting Statistic to Consider
I was glad to see the article on women in the industry, though not glad to see the statistics on how they are paid compared to men. (“Breaking Through Is Hard to Do,” AM August, page 16.) Did you do any additional research not printed that covered maternity benefits? I'd be curious to see any statistics on maternity benefits — another big way companies can discriminate.
Dana Freker Doody
Director, Corporate Communications
The Expo Group
Irving, TX
Editor's Note: We did not solicit any information regarding maternity benefits. We did track information on bonuses and raises offered. The complete salary survey report is available for a fee from our Web site at meetingsnet.com.
We welcome all letters to the editor and reserve the right to edit them for clarity and length. Please send letters to rmcgee@primediabusiness.com, or to 132 Great Road, Suite 200, Stow, MA 01775.
