Contract Talks

With a little more than two weeks to go before a contract extension between East Coast and Gulf dockworkers and port operators expires, the federal mediator said Thursday that progress is being made toward a long-term settlement. George Cohen, director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, said the International Longshoremen's Association representing 14,500 union members and United States Maritime Alliance, which represents 14 ports and shipping companies, met between Tuesday and Thursday, and have agreed "that the negotiations will continue under our auspices.

With a little more than two weeks to go before a contract extension between East Coast and Gulf dockworkers and port operators expires, the federal mediator said Thursday that progress is being made toward a long-term settlement. George Cohen, director of the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service, said the International Longshoremen's Association representing 14,500 union members and United States Maritime Alliance, which represents 14 ports and shipping companies, met between Tuesday and Thursday, and have agreed "that the negotiations will continue under our auspices.

There could be change for the Ravens this offseason, especially with former defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano becoming head coach of the Indianapolis Colts. With Pagano in Baltimore, there were only two other AFC head coaches who knew the Ravens system and the value of certain players. But both New York Jets coach Rex Ryan and Cincinnati's Marvin Lewis have been joined by Pagano.  There will be a bidding war, or at least threats, on several of the Ravens other unrestricted free agents.

Southwest Airlines and the union representing its 8,500 ground employees have asked the National Mediation Board to jump start contract talks after 14 months of negotiations failed to produce an deal. Transport Workers Union Local 555 called the stalled talks "disappointing," given the fact that the airline posted the highest second-quarter profit in its history. Negotiations began on July 12 last year. "Southwest has proposed changes in our collective bargaining agreement which are concessionary in nature and entirely unacceptable to our members," union president Charles Cerf said in a statement.

A day after Ray Rice broke the silence about his contract status by saying he had outplayed his rookie deal, Ravens general manger Ozzie Newsome agreed with the Pro Bowl running back and indicated that he is happy with the progress the organization has made in long-term contract talks with Todd France, the agent for Rice. But Newsome said Wednesday at the team's annual draft luncheon that a potential holdout is something that he and other team officials always discuss before designated a player as their franchise player, including Rice.

A day after Ray Rice broke the silence about his contract status by saying he had outplayed his rookie deal, Ravens general manger Ozzie Newsome agreed with the Pro Bowl running back and indicated that he is happy with the progress the organization has made in long-term contract talks with Todd France, the agent for Rice. But Newsome seemed resigned that Rice would sit out offseason workouts, saying that a potential holdout is something that he and other team officials always discuss before designating a player as their franchise player.

The union that represents 17,000 workers at the region's two largest supermarket chains is embracing the "occupy" movement as it begins contract talks Wednesday. Anticipating difficult bargaining with Safeway and Giant Foods, the union has launched a website, occupygiantandsafeway.org, to build public support for its cause. The contract expires March 31. Tom McNutt, president of United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400, said in a speech to union organizers last week that employees have worked hard over the last three decades to make the grocery chains highly profitable — while, he said, top executives are "making the Sheriff of Nottingham look like a saint.

Southwest Airlines and the union representing its 8,500 ground employees have asked the National Mediation Board to jump start contract talks after 14 months of negotiations failed to produce an deal. Transport Workers Union Local 555 called the stalled talks "disappointing," given the fact that the airline posted the highest second-quarter profit in its history. Negotiations began on July 12 last year. "Southwest has proposed changes in our collective bargaining agreement which are concessionary in nature and entirely unacceptable to our members," union president Charles Cerf said in a statement.

Carroll school officials canceled contract talks last week with the five groups representing workers because of the death of Kenneth F. Mussari, the district's longtime personnel director and a former English teacher.Mussari, who had served in the position since the mid-1970s, was an integral part of negotiations with the groups representing teachers, plant and maintenance, food service and clerical workers.Duties within Mussari's department have been reassigned among thestaff to provide help to William R. Rooney, Carroll's supervisor of personnel, until the district feels it is appropriate to advertise and conduct a search to fill Mussari's position.

With time running out before the contract expires, the union representing 14,500 longshoremen on the East and Gulf coasts and the port employers' organization will meet Wednesday morning with a federal mediator to try to avert the first strike in 35 years. Talks on a master contract covering 14 ports, including Baltimore, broke off in late August with leaders of the International Longshoremen's Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance accusing each other of bargaining in bad faith.

With time running out before the contract expires, the union representing 14,500 longshoremen on the East and Gulf coasts and the port employers' organization will meet Wednesday morning with a federal mediator to try to avert the first strike in 35 years. Talks on a master contract covering 14 ports, including Baltimore, broke off in late August with leaders of the International Longshoremen's Association and the U.S. Maritime Alliance accusing each other of bargaining in bad faith.

The Ravens were ready to break the team huddle to start practice recently when Joe Flacco took off his helmet and his teammates erupted in laughter. "The guy was wearing a [skull] cap," wide receiver Torrey Smith said. "You know, the thing that Ray Lewis wears. " For the past four seasons, the quarterback has been scrutinized more than any other athlete in Baltimore. His body language has been interpreted and critiqued. His quotes have been dissected and, at times, mocked. And his performance every weekend during the football season has ranged from acceptable to terrible, depending on whom you ask. As he enters the most important season of his young career, Flacco is supposed to be feeling the pressure that comes with increased expectations and responsibilities.

Federal mediators will attempt to restart stalled contract talks between the union representing 14,500 East and Gulf coast dockworkers and the group representing their employers in an effort to avert the first strike in 35 years. A strike would clot the shipment of billions of dollars of goods in and out of the eastern United States at the peak of the holiday shipping season, potentially driving up prices and threatening the nation's nascent economic recovery. The dockworkers' current contract expires Oct. 1. Baltimore port officials greeted word of federal mediators' intervention with relief.

Joe Flacco, his representatives and the Ravens are still working on a long-term extension. How long that could take is up in the air, but the starting quarterback said he won't prevent his agent, Joe Linta, from continuing negotiations into the regular season. “That doesn't matter to me,” Flacco said Thursday of whether he would delay discussions until after the upcoming season. “It's not like I'm up in the offices negotiating my contract. I really don't have any thought about it. That's up to my agent.

Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco will report to training camp Monday, and he said that it doesn't matter one bit whether his contract situations is resolved quickly or not. “If it happens, it happens,” Flacco said tonight. “I see myself being here for many years no matter what happens. " After securing running back Ray Rice to a long-term deal Monday, the Ravens accelerated contract talks with Flacco's agent, Joe Linta, this week. At this point, no deal is imminent but both sides are optimistic that one can be reached before the season, which represents Flacco's final year of his rookie contract.

Ravens owner Steve Bisciotti acknowledged Friday there is still a “gap” in contract talks between the team and Ray Rice, but he remains optimistic the team will reach a long-term agreement with its star running back and quarterback Joe Flacco. Rice, who would play the season under the $7.7-million franchise tag if a long-term extension isn't reached before July 16, is not expected to be at the team's mandatory veteran mini-camp which starts Tuesday and is a threat to hold out from next month's training camp.

For the next three weeks, the Ravens will have three-day, organized team activities that will undoubtedly attract many of the team's veteran players along with the rookie class. Ray Rice, the Ravens' star running back who has stayed away from the team's facility this offseason as his agent attempts to secure a contract extension for him, is not expected to be there, but that should not be taken as a sign that the negotiations are going poorly. While no deal is imminent and there remains plenty of work to do, there has been some progress in the contract talks in recent weeks between Rice's agent, Todd France, and the Ravens, according to sources familiar with the talks.