How much are Pa. Convention Center workers paid?

Here are hourly base wage rates, and medical and retirement benefit costs, for the six union trades employed on jobs at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia:

• Electricians (IBEW) $47.79 28.96
• Carpenters $39.90 26.74
• Stagehands $39.72 14.70
• Riggers (Ironworkers) $35.11 24.69
• Teamsters 24.72 19.75
• Laborers 24.30 22.36

As my Philadelphia Inquirer colleague Jane Von Bergen reports here, the Electricians, Stagehands, Riggers and Laborers will receive 3% yearly increases over the next 10 years as part of a more liberal new work-rules agreement. As I reported here, the Center intends to stop employing Carpenters and Teamsters after this week because their local union officers didn't agree to the new work rules, which they say will cut workers' hours. Center bosses say the new rules will attract more shows and make up for any lost hours.

Separately, here is what the center pays for health and welfare, vacation pay, apprentice training, retirement pension and other benefits, per hour, for each trade:

• Electricians $28.96
• Carpenters $26.74
• Stagehands $14.70
• Riggers $24.69
• Teamsters $19.75
• Laborers $22.36

In 2013, the Center employed a total of 2,252 union trades workers at some point during the year, and maybe 500 each day there were shows. They worked a total of 430,000 hours, or nearly 54,000 "work days," reports spokesman Pete Peterson.

Source: Philly.com