SAN DIEGO, CA — In a decisive victory for workers at one of the West Coast’s premier convention venues, 12 IT Technicians and Event Coordinators employed by Smart City Networks at the San Diego Convention Center have voted to join the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees (IATSE) Local 122. The election, held on May 21, 2026, resulted in a vote of 10 in favor and 2 opposed. With this organizing victory, Smart City Networks becomes the last in-house employer at the facility to be unionized, completing a fully unionized convention center floor.

The newly formed bargaining unit covers workers across four classifications: Technician I, Technician II, Event Coordinators, and Customer Service Representatives. These workers are responsible for designing, deploying, and maintaining the high-speed internet infrastructure, Wi-Fi networks, and event technology systems that serve the thousands of planners, exhibitors, and attendees who pass through the San Diego Convention Center each year for events including San Diego Comic-Con, the American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting, and the ESRI User Conference, among many others.

Smart City Networks is a national company operating in 25 convention centers across the United States, delivering high-speed internet, Wi-Fi, and cutting-edge event technology to trade shows and exhibitions nationwide. Their workers are the backbone of that operation, ensuring seamless connectivity and expert support for Planners, Exhibitors, and Attendees at every event.

Workers initially reached out to Local 122 in early March and over the following weeks, organizers held group meetings and one-on-one conversations with workers, filing authorization cards. In the lead-up to the vote, Smart City Networks retained the union-avoidance law firm Littler Mendelson, spending an estimated $58,000 on anti-union consultant in an effort to discourage organizing. Ultimately, workers held firm, rejected the employer’s campaign, and delivered an overwhelming mandate for representation

“At the end of the day, everyone deserves to have a union,” said Greg Sowizdrzal, President of IATSE Local 122. “We’re proud that the workers at Smart City took their first step in having a voice on the job and having representation.”

In a statement, the Smart City crewmembers expressed what this victory means to them: “To us, having a union means having a voice. It means being united and being able to stand on equal footing with the company. It has shown us the importance of solidarity, and we look forward to taking an active role in the decisions that will impact our future.”