Seattle: Labor and Union Relationships#

The convention center’s operations and construction involve multiple unions with distinct relationships to the building. Each has a different stake in questions about the building’s future use.

Operations Unions (Day-to-Day)#

SCC maintains labor agreements with nine local unions (per the Event Planning Guide, p.23). The specific “Staffing Guidelines and Labor and Union Information” document is available only from an SCC Event Manager — not publicly published.

Estimated headcount: 150–250 on quiet days, 500–1,000+ on busy event days with a major trade show.

SEIU Local 6 (Setup & Custodial)#

• Represents: Set-up attendants, custodial staff
• Employer: SCC/PFD direct
• Duties: Meeting room furniture/equipment installation, room conversions, trash removal, housekeeping, facility maintenance, recycling
• On-call positions available — no guaranteed hours; shifts assigned by event activity, seniority, and availability

Source: MLK Labor — Set-Up Attendant On-Call posting

Teamsters Local 117 (Event Control)#

• Represents: Admission attendants (AAs), transportation attendants (TAs)
• Employer: SCC/PFD direct (public sector contract)
• AAs: Badge checking/scanning, crowd management, ticket taking, coat check, directional assistance, access control. AAs are the exclusive provider of front-of-house access control — not available through outside contractors.
• TAs: Loading dock operations, truck/shuttle staging, hand-carried freight, freight elevator operation, cart distribution. Required by City of Seattle Transportation Management Plan for shuttle/motor coach activity. All loading dock access “requires appropriate scheduling of union TA staff.”
• Note: Ivan worked as AA (on-call) and AA lead (full-time, Aug–Dec 2023) under this contract.
• CBA terms, wage rates, headcount, on-call vs. full-time split

Source: Teamsters 117 — Public Sector Contracts

IATSE Local 15 (Stagehands)#

• Represents: Stagehands, AV technicians, rigging, lighting, sound
• Contract structure: Primarily between IATSE 15 and event producers/general service contractors (GES, Freeman), not a direct CBA with SCC/PFD. Event producers hire through the IATSE 15 hiring hall (F-List for career stagehands, G-List for temporary workers).
• Notable: SCC does not require union personnel for rigging installation (Show Contractor Guidelines, p.8). Encore is the exclusive rigging provider in ballrooms.
• Stake in commons question: Work is driven by large individual events (PAX West, tech conferences with big general sessions). Fewer large conventions = fewer high-labor calls. Not a steady daily presence.

Source: IATSE Local 15

UNITE HERE Local 8 (Aramark F&B Workers)#

• Represents: Food service, catering, banquet setup, concessions — all Aramark employees at SCC
• Employer: Aramark (not SCC/PFD)
• Estimated headcount: 400+ food service workers (~2018–2019 figure; likely larger now with Summit operational)
• Training partnership: WSCC and UNITE HERE Local 8 jointly operate a Hospitality Training Program — job skills, ESL, citizenship training, Know Your Rights classes, computer skills, financial literacy. SCC provided seed funding.
• CBA terms, wage rates
• What happens to UNITE HERE representation if Aramark is replaced at contract expiration (Jan 2027)?

Source: WSCC / UNITE HERE Local 8 Training Program

Trade Show Labor (Decorators & I&D)#

Two unions, working for General Service Contractors (GES, Freeman), not SCC employees:

• IUPAT District Council 5 (Painters and Allied Trades) — convention and show decorators: dressings, pipe and draping, skirting, signs, banners, flags
• NW Carpenters / Western States Regional Council — trade show installation & dismantle (I&D): uncrating/re-crating, exhibit structure setup. 1,200+ members in PNW tradeshow industry. Dispatch through Mix 20/20 system.

Standard 30-minute rule: exhibiting company full-time employees may self-install if setup takes under 30 minutes without tools or ladders.

SCC does not endorse exclusivity by any general service contractor or union for freight handling (Event Planning Guide, p.24). Decorators/I&D labor is dispatched per-event, not permanently stationed — though the volume of back-to-back trade shows creates near-continuous presence in the garages.

Source: IUPAT DC5, NW Carpenters — Tradeshow

Security (In-House)#

• Employer: SCC/PFD direct
• Coverage: 24/7/365, both buildings
• Arch Security Control: 9th Ave and Pike, (206) 694-5127
• Summit Security Control: 1011 Olive Way, (206) 219-4748
• Duties: perimeter/public area security, life safety monitoring, emergency response, temporary badges, room lock/unlock, VIP access
• SCC security does not provide asset protection, overnight exhibit security, or bag inspection — events needing these hire outside contractors
• Which union? Likely SEIU Local 6 (represents security officers in Seattle area)

Other In-House Facility Operations#

SCC Event Planning Guide (p.5) lists in-house trades:

• Building engineers — likely IUOE Local 302 (stationary engineers)
• House electricians — likely IBEW Local 46
• Carpenters, painters, landscapers — likely NW Carpenters and/or IUPAT DC5 for maintenance

Reconstructed List of Nine Locals#

The definitive list is in the “Staffing Guidelines and Labor and Union Information” document — available only from an SCC Event Manager.

Other Exclusive Service Contractors#

The PFD contracts with several exclusive service providers beyond Aramark. Each has a different revenue-sharing structure:

Note the structural difference: Edlen, Smart City, and LMG operate on commission/revenue-share models where they keep most of the revenue. Aramark operates on a management contract where the PFD keeps all revenue and reimburses Aramark. The PFD takes on more financial risk with Aramark but keeps more upside.

Source: 2021 Refunding Bond Official Statement

Construction Unions (Building Trades)#

These unions represent workers who build and renovate the facility. Their interest is in the construction pipeline, not day-to-day operations.

Seattle/King County Building and Construction Trades Council#

Umbrella organization coordinating construction union interests. Would be the primary voice in any PLA negotiation for an Arch renovation.

Key Locals (from Summit construction)#

Stake in commons question: Neutral on building use — they care about the next construction project, not what happens inside afterward. The corridor argument (more total construction from mixed-use development than one renovation) is aimed directly at this group.

• Which trades council locals have political action committees?
• What is the Building Trades Council’s current position on the Arch?
• Has the Building Trades Council been involved in I-5 lid discussions?

The Aramark Contract#

Aramark Corporation manages food and beverage operations at both the Arch and Summit.

Contract Structure#

Management fee that scales with gross revenue. As gross revenues rise, so does the percentage Aramark earns. The PFD books gross F&B revenue and pays Aramark costs plus management fee, netting the remainder.

From the 2021 Refunding Bond Official Statement:

“Aramark, the food service provider, has a management contract with the District whereby all invoices are billed through the District. Aramark is reimbursed for expenses they incurred, plus a management fee.”

Financial performance (from Aramark board presentation, March 31, 2026):

Described by Aramark district manager as “one of the strongest performing [convention centers] in the portfolio” by revenue per usable square foot.

Contract Duration#

• Current contract start: January 1, 2025
• Initial term: 5 years (through December 31, 2029)
• Extensions: Two 2-year options (potential total: 9 years, through 2033)
• Current investment: $1M (Tasting Room at Arch facility)
• Reserve set aside for equipment stewardship, research, and marketing

Previous research cited a January 2, 2027 expiration — this was the old contract. The new contract was confirmed at the March 31, 2026 board meeting.

Contract Scope#

F&B only, but exclusive. No outside food or beverage may be brought in.

SCC maintains an on-site Executive Chef and CIA-trained culinary staff. Aramark has grown the team significantly since Summit opened — described as needing separate staffing for each building (“we can’t do it with one building staff-wise”).

Anchor Clients (Cumulative F&B, Post-Pandemic through March 2026)#

Largest single event: Amazon 2025 — $3.8M net. Most valuable client all-time: Microsoft — $67.9M (2012–present).

Concentration risk: Microsoft + Amazon = $29M of cumulative post-pandemic F&B. Two clients represent the majority of high-value bookings.

Industry Comparison#

Industry trend: convention centers shifting from P&L/commission toward management fee contracts for more venue control.

Key Questions#

• What is Aramark’s actual management fee (as distinct from food/labor cost reimbursement)? Public records request needed.
• Does the contract cover both buildings, or was it amended when the Summit opened?
• With 9 months to expiration, what’s the rebid/renewal status? Check 2025-2026 board minutes.
• If Aramark is replaced, what happens to UNITE HERE Local 8 representation?
• The PFD’s 65% revenue dependence on F&B means any disruption during a contract transition would be devastating. Aramark knows this.

Source: 2021 Refunding Bond Official Statement, WSCC PFD FY2024 Audit

The Rate Card Question#

SCC does not publish public rate cards for meeting room or event space rental. Pricing is accessed only through an Event Inquiry Form on the website.

The F&B Minimum as Barrier#

The real barrier to community access is not room rental — it’s mandatory Aramark catering. No outside food permitted. Typical convention center F&B pricing:

• Continental breakfast: $25–45/person
• Plated lunch: $45–75/person
• All-day meeting package: $85–150/person
• Plus ~25% service charge + ~10% tax

A 100-person community meeting with modest refreshments: $5,000–10,000 in mandatory F&B before service charges and tax. A 300-person nonprofit gala: $30,000–60,000 in catering alone. These minimums are typically non-negotiable.

Transparency Comparison#

Key finding: Publicly-owned convention centers in cities that codify rates in municipal ordinances (LA, Austin) or governed by transparency-mandating regional bodies (Portland/Metro) tend to publish rates. The Oregon Convention Center — same region, two hours south — is the natural comparison for what SCC transparency could look like.

Seattle Center is structurally more accessible than SCC: no exclusive caterer, approved vendor list instead. This is the single biggest difference in community access between the two public venues.

Sources: OCC Rental Rates PDF, MOHAI Rates PDF, SCC F&B page

Each Union’s Calculus on the Commons Question#

The Minor League Analogy#

A convention center with low utilization is like a minor league stadium: not selling out, revenue isn’t major-league, but the building is active and the workforce has hours. The relevant comparison isn’t convention vs. nothing — it’s:

• Convention model: intense spikes (setup/event/teardown) and dead days between bookings
• Commons model: lower peaks but steadier baseline hours — daily programming vs. episodic events

For operations unions (setup crew, AAs, building services), the commons scenario might mean more total hours with less variance. For event-dependent unions (IATSE, decorators), it likely means fewer high-value calls but the building stays warm. A warm building with daily activity is a better position than a dark building waiting for the next booking — especially when the Summit handles the big shows two blocks away.

Questions for Future Exploration#

On operations labor#

• Total FTE headcount at SCC — how many people work in the building day-to-day?
• Breakdown by union vs. non-union, by employer (PFD direct, Aramark, contractors)
• What happens to operations jobs if the Arch goes to commons? How many positions are Arch-specific vs. shared?
• Are there seasonal/on-call workers whose hours depend on convention bookings?

On construction labor and the coalition#

• Has any building trades council ever supported a non-construction alternative for a public building?
• Could a corridor development PLA replicate the benefits of a single-building renovation PLA?

On Aramark#

• File public records request for Aramark contract and all amendments (publicrecords@seattleconventioncenter.com)
• What is Aramark’s actual management fee as distinct from cost reimbursement?
• Review 2025–2026 board minutes for contract renewal discussion
• What happens to UNITE HERE Local 8 if Aramark is replaced?

Sources#

• WSCC PFD Audited Financial Statements FY2024 — seattlecc.com
• WSCC PFD 2021 Refunding Bond Official Statement — EMMA
• IATSE Local 15
• IBEW Local 46
• UNITE HERE Local 8 — represents Aramark F&B workers at SCC
• Seattle/King County Building and Construction Trades Council
• Aramark Corporation
• Oregon Convention Center Rental Rates (FY23-26)
• MOHAI Private Events Rates
• Ivan Schneider — worked as Teamsters-represented admission attendant and AA lead at SCC, 2023

Page created 2026-03-31. Research in progress — checklist items track what’s needed.