In a given city, one union may do the same work that three different unions do in another city. Traditionally, unions have established jurisdictions by precedent, much like a squatter claims land rights. This has created a checkerboard of union players. The relationship between the show manager, general service contractor and the unions. Defining the role of labor in the show.
Labor costs affect booth rates and, in turn, individual exhibitor decisions on participation.
Attorney Kenneth Singer, National Director of Labor Relations for GES Exposition Services in Las Vegas, says contracts generally run from three to four years. GES has more than 90 separate union agreements. GES's Director of Marketing and Special Services Julia Smith notes that labor rates are comprised of hourly rates, plus affiliated costs such as minimums, holidays, benefits, workmen's compensation and insurance. A recent Tradeshow Week survey showed that labor rates increased by five percent in 1995, somewhat in step with the average ten-year pace of 4.5 percent annually. It may seem that even in Des Moines a rigger could earn a substantial annual wage.