Team San Jose changes course

By Don Sadler

Last August, the San Jose Convention Center made a decision that resulted in some serious unintended consequences: They contracted exclusively with the Teamsters Union’s Local 287 for all labor services provided to decorators and exhibition contractors at the center. Their stated goal was to “differentiate San Jose as an innovative and competitive meetings destination, as well as help support local jobs.”

Decorators and contractors quickly raised concerns. “The main problem was that many of our members already had collective bargaining agreements with other trade locals, so this put them in breach of contract, and a number of NLRB charges were quickly filed,” says Larry Arnaudet, the executive director of the Exhibition Services and Contractors Association (ESCA).

After months of discussions between Team San Jose and the decorator and exhibition communities, Team San Jose reversed course, recently announcing an interim operations plan that eliminates the requirement that contractors work exclusively with them and Local 287.

“Though we got off to a rough start, the industry came together on a critically important issue,” says Steve Hagstette, ESCA’s president. “We now have an excellent foundation on which to partner with Team San Jose in a way that will provide great value for clients in the future.”

Dan Fenton, CEO of Team San Jose, acknowledges the concern among decorators and exhibitors over the positioning of the SJCC as an exclusive employer and stresses that long-term discussions are ongoing. “This interim solution is a good step forward for San Jose and the decorating community to continue discussions that will support both decorators and our clients.”

Under the new plan, decorators and exhibitors can choose to use Team San Jose for labor services if they want, but it’s not required. Should you decide to use local labor, you can work directly with Local 287 or go through Team San Jose, which would contract with the local labor union.

As far as he’s concerned, Arnaudet says it’s back to business as usual in San Jose. “Some decisions were made that didn’t work out the way they were intended, but all the parties have gotten together and reached an accord and we’re moving forward now.”

This spring, the first of several summits is planned between Team San Jose and industry stakeholders to continue discussions that may lead to a permanent operations plan for the SJCC.