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Carpenters rejoin the Building Trades after Johnny Doc’s departure

It’s been more than eight years since the Carpenters left the politically influential coalition of building trade unions after an acrimonious dispute at the Convention Center.

Using an inflatable "fat cat," carpenters protested outside the Convention Center on July 11, 2014. Earlier that year, John Dougherty and his electricians union crossed the carpenters' picket line.
Using an inflatable "fat cat," carpenters protested outside the Convention Center on July 11, 2014. Earlier that year, John Dougherty and his electricians union crossed the carpenters' picket line.Read moreALEJANDRO A. ALVAREZ / Staff Photographer

A truce has been called in one of Philadelphia labor’s most infamous grudges: The Carpenters union is rejoining the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council.

It’s been more than eight years since the Carpenters left the politically influential coalition of building trade unions, around the same time that some of their fellow trade unions took the extraordinary move of crossing their picket line at the Convention Center.

Chief among the picket-line crossers was the electricians union, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 98, and its leader, John J. Dougherty. Back then, he called the Carpenters out for not standing in solidarity with the rest of the building trade unions: “There’s a pattern of the carpenter not being part of the family,” he said. In 2015, the following year, Dougherty was named head of the Building Trades Council.

But things are different now.

Dougherty was found guilty of federal bribery charges in November. He’s stepped down from the top spot at the Building Trades Council and a new leader, Ryan Boyer of the Laborers District Council, has been elected.

“I am so happy to welcome the Carpenters Union back to the Philadelphia Building and Construction Trades Council,” Boyer said in a Tuesday statement.

The Carpenters, too, have had a new leader for some time. Ed Coryell Sr. was ousted from leadership in 2016 and the Carpenters union was rebranded as the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters.

The decision to rejoin the council did not have to do with “the unfortunate situation with Mr. Dougherty,” said William Sproule, top official of the Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters.

Rather, he said, it was about “adding to the collective strength of the trades,” especially when it comes to political organizing and diverse hiring. “It’s a good time to have unity.”

As one of the largest building trade unions in the region, the Carpenters’ move is a boon for the council. It means more money, and power, for the building trade coalition.

The Eastern Atlantic States Regional Council of Carpenters represents more than 41,000 members across six states and Washington, D.C. In Philadelphia, it has about 4,500 members, including retirees.