NEWS
By Nicole Fuller, The Baltimore Sun | February 22, 2011
After dozens of public safety workers testified in front of the Anne Arundel County Council Tuesday night, the panel delayed a vote on legislation that would end the practice of binding arbitration in labor disputes. The bill, sponsored by Council Chairman Richard Ladd at the request of County Executive John R. Leopold, would give the County Council the last word in labor disputes between the county and its public safety employees. Currently, a neutral third party issues opinions when disputes arise, and the county must abide by those rulings.
NEWS
By Andrea F. Siegel, The Baltimore Sun | February 4, 2011
Saying that Anne Arundel County Executive John R. Leopold wants to punish them for not endorsing his re-election by moving to restrict a key contract negotiation provision, a coalition of public safety unions plans to marshal its members to fight an administration proposal to curb binding arbitration. Leopold maintains that binding arbitration is tantamount to giving an outsider control over the county budget — down to the need to raise taxes — and that the proposed change is needed to give elected officials control over budget decisions.
NEWS
By Julie Scharper, The Baltimore Sun | January 31, 2011
The city's police and fire unions plan to picket a national convention of mayors to be held in Baltimore in June, in an effort to force a compromise with Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake over furlough days and pension benefits. Fraternal Order of Police President Robert F. Cherry said Monday that he was inviting police and fire unions from across the country to join the protest, which he hoped would spark a "national discussion about prioritizing public safety. " The police and firefighters unions have been sparring with Rawlings-Blake since last year, when she pushed through an overhaul of their pension system that saves the city money but cuts benefits.
NEWS
By Julie Scharper and Scott Calvert, The Baltimore Sun | December 7, 2010
The pair of five-alarm fires that ripped through downtown Baltimore in a 12-hour span left behind charred century-old buildings — and forced business owners in Mount Vernon and The Block to confront closing for days or even months. A fire across from the historic Mount Vernon Plaza early Tuesday reduced restaurants — including Donna's Cafe, a neighborhood fixture — to sopping, smoldering messes. Shattered attic windows framed views of gray sky, as flames appeared to have consumed the building roof.
NEWS
By Raven L. Hill, The Baltimore Sun | October 28, 2010
Baltimore County voters will consider a referendum next week to require the county to change the way it determines salary increases and benefits for up to 3,000 employees, including emergency call dispatchers, health inspectors and code enforcement workers. The county firefighters and police are entitled to binding arbitration, a process that requires both the county and the union to abide by the decision of an independent third party on labor disputes. The ballot question would expand eligibility to "general" employees, a move that would make the county unusual among Maryland's jurisdictions.
NEWS
By Nick Madigan, The Baltimore Sun | October 16, 2010
Firefighters battling a blaze in a southwest Baltimore house early Saturday found a lifeless body inside, and the city firefighters' union said the closure of a nearby fire station affected the department's ability to respond quickly to the incident. In a statement e-mailed to reporters shortly after 12:30 a.m., Baltimore Firefighters Union Local 734 said fire and rescue crews had encountered heavy fire and smoke at the two-story brick dwelling on the 1900 block of Griffis Avenue.