Peter Van Allen: Philadelphia Business Journal

– A longtime leader of the one of the unions at Pennsylvania Convention Center has been appointed to its board.

Ed Coryell Sr. of the Carpenters union, United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America-Local 8, was appointed to the 15-member board just as contract negotiations heat up with the center’s labor unions.

Labor disputes and high costs have been at the center of customer complaints at the Convention Center, which expanded at a cost of $780 million in 2011.

The news was first reported by Tom Ferrick at AxisPhilly.

Board members are appointed by politicians at the state, county and local level.

Coryell’s appointment was made by state Sen. Jay Costa (D-Allegheny), Senate minority leader.

“I as the chairman have no say in who a particular person names to the board,” Greg Fox, chairman of the Pennsylvania Convention Center Authority, said Monday.

Coryell replaces Pat Gillespie of the Building Trades Council.

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