They turned all of Milwaukee into a stage. They converted parking lots into TV studios. Workers, many with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Hands union, did big business for the Republican National Convention which wrapped up this week. “Tearing out Fiserv and converting it to what you see in there. All the stuff you see here,” explained one Milwaukee worker on the site of the CNN outdoor studio.
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Dan said he and his fellow union members don’t usually struggle for work this time of year, but that things certainly ramped up with the RNC. “I know a lot of guys who’ve been getting steady work for months because of this, so it’s good for everyone,” he said.
Many bars and restaurants that did not book convention related business complained they did not get an RNC bump. Some suggested it hurt their bottom lines as regulars avoided downtown.
For Dan, he was working, and enjoying seeing national figures walk by on Vel R. Phillips Avenue. “Steve Scalise (Congressman from Louisianna), Brian Kemp (Governor of Georgia), Asa Hutchinson (Former Governor of Arkansas), Sarah Huckabee Sanders (Governor of Arkansas) was right out here,” Dan bragged. The outdoor studio took up the entire parking lot just north of Turner Hall and adjacent to Deer District.
Workers told WTMJ said many would roll right into setup for Harley Davidson’s Homecoming celebration next week.
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