Citing 'violent, illegal and extortionate conduct,' Convention Center sues Carpenters union

The Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority on Thursday filed a federal civil lawsuit against one of the two unions barred from working at the property. In the lawsuit it alleges a pattern of “prolonged and coordinated violent, illegal and extortionate conduct."

The complaint was filed under the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organization (RICO) Act against the Metropolitan Regional Council of Carpenters and individual members of the Carpenters union.

It seeks to recover more than $1 million in damages imposed on the authority by the Carpenters union through its activity over the past year, which Convention Center management said included “illegal and disruptive mass picketing and protests; physical intimidation, harassment, stalking, and assault and battery; verbal intimidation, harassment, race-baiting, and threats; and the destruction of property.”

The authority “has a fiduciary duty to Pennsylvania taxpayers to pursue the recovery of these damages from the Carpenters as a result of their unlawful acts,” Convention Center Authority President and CEO John McNichol said, “and we believe we have a very strong legal case.”

In addition to the Carpenters itself, the lawsuit names the union's leader Edward Coryell Sr., his son Edward Coryell Jr. and five other members as defendants.

The Carpenters union could not be immediately reached for comment.

The Carpenters and Teamsters unions have been barred from working at the convention center since last year after failing to sign a new, more exhibitor-friendly customer satisfaction agreement by May 5. The unions maintain that they had until and that they signed by a May 10 date.

The convention center in February called for a temporary restraining order against the Carpenters after the center said exhibitors experienced disruption and vandalism during this year’s Philadelphia Auto Show.

The complaint filed Thursday also lists the union’s other “coercive conduct,” including the launch of a website against the convention center and various other social media activity.

The work of the Carpenters and Teamsters has been assigned among the four signatory unions.

Since the new customer satisfaction agreement was signed, the Convention Center has touted a more streamlined experience, attracting new shows to book at the center and other conventions to return to Philadelphia.

The center had the strongest convention-booking year in more than a decade last year, which it attributed to the new work rules.

The Carpenters last year filed an unfair labor charge to the National Labor Relations Board against the convention center, which the board later dismissed, because it said it had no jurisdiction over the matter.

The union took the same charge to the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board, which also dismissed the charge.

The case drew breath again last month when the PLRB hearing examiner presiding over the case decided to reverse his prior decision— a “head-scratcher” for local labor attorneys and the convention center since no new evidence had been presented.

In response, the Convention Center filed an emergency motion, saying hearing examiner Jack E. Marino acted in an “arbitrary and capricious manner.”

Hearing dates for the case have not yet been announced.

Source: Philadelphia Business Journal