Center: Labor leader drove off business

Source: The Telegraph, Alton, Ill.自存倉Oct. 29--EDWARDSVILLE -- The Gateway Center in Collinsville has filed suit in circuit court against a construction trades group, claiming its executive director interfered with contracts in a dispute over hiring Illinois workers.The Gateway Center is a state-funded local governmental body based in Collinsville. It plays host to large conventions, meetings and other events.The center names Dale Stewart as an individual and as executive director of the Southwestern Illinois Construction and Trades Council. The council is made up of several unions involved in construction trades.The suit claims Stewart contacted an organization with which Gateway had contracts for events to be held at the center."(The defendant) interfered by contacting (the organization) and misleading them by asserting that plaintiff was anti-union and, specifically, anti-Illinois union and that it was refusing for no valid reason to adopt defendant's demands that it use only Illinois union workers on its construction and maintenance projects," the suit alleges.The organization is known as Council of Owners & Construction Association, or COCA. It had planned to rent space at the center, for which the center expected a profit. The center also was anticipating income from people attending the events from concessions sold to attendees.Stewart allegedly encouraged COCA to cancel its contracts with Gateway an迷你倉 threatened to put up picket lines at the events."As a result of said acts by defendants, COCA terminated its contracts with plaintiff," the suit claims.The suit is asking for at least $50,000, plus punitive damages.The suit also is asking for an injunction to prevent Stewart from contacting potential contractors who perform work at the center.The count for injunction claims Stewart contacted a Missouri bidder on a contract to remove and replace the heating, ventilation and air conditioning. The company, DEKA Service of Fenton, Mo., was the lowest bidder and hires union workers out of Local 148 in Missouri, the suit claims.The suit asks for an injunction against Stewart preventing him from contacting potential customersStewart allegedly visited a Gateway official and insisted the center use only contractors who hire Illinois union members, the suit claims.Other potential exhibitors at the center then cancelled contracts after hearing of problems between the Gateway Center and unions, the suit claims. COCA cancelled six events, the suit claims.Other organizations also contacted the center executive, Cynthia Warke, to express concerns over potential labor disputes at the center, the suit alleges. The center is represented by John Barberis of St. Jacob.Copyright: ___ (c)2013 The Telegraph (Alton, Ill.) Visit The Telegraph (Alton, Ill.) at .thetelegraph.com Distributed by MCT Information Servicesmini storage