Labor

A hearing into allegations of unfair labor practices filed against the Hyatt Regency Baltimore began late Monday after hours of ultimately fruitless discussion about settling the complaint. National Labor Relations Board attorneys began their case against the hotel by describing the situation as a "predictable pattern" of "unlawful" management responses to unionizing efforts by employees working with Unite Here, a union that represents employees in fields such as hospitality. "It's a classic nip-in-the-bud case," said Sean R. Marshall, a senior trial attorney for the board.

Maryland's economy shed 3,100 jobs in November, the latest U-turn in a bumpy year overshadowed by the fast-approaching "fiscal cliff," according to federal data released Friday. The U.S. Department of Labor also sharply revised downward its estimate for October, saying that Maryland employers added 4,700 jobs rather than the 14,000 in its preliminary report. Maryland's unemployment rate in November fell slightly to 6.6 percent, possibly the result of more people commuting out of state or starting their own businesses.

Port of Baltimore officials say they "are preparing for the worst," in the event of a longshoremen's strike at one minute past midnight Dec. 30. But that would be nothing, they say, compared with a management decision to lock out workers at the deadline — a move that would bring work on cargo ships and cruise ships to a halt. As the deadline approaches, Baltimore officials are preparing a strike plan that incorporates an accelerated work schedule next week to move as much cargo as possible, and security measures with the Maryland Transportation Authority Police, the Coast Guard and Baltimore city and county police.

The Great American Twinkie Crisis illuminates what is wrong with the relationship between management and labor in this country. Hostess, the company that, since the 1930s, has provided our nation with snacks that are nearly indestructible, now threatens to go out of business and leave us bereft of Ding Dongs, Sno Balls, Ho Hos, CupCakes, Wonder Bread and a variety of other baked goods that are probably not good for us but, at least to a kid's palate,...

Maryland employers turned in a third consecutive month of job growth with a large gain of 14,000 positions in October, the federal government said Tuesday — a much better trend after five months of losses. The state's unemployment rate improved to 6.7 percent in October as a result of the expansion, down from 6.9 percent in September and 7.1 percent in August, the U.S. Department of Labor said. James Bohnaker, an associate economist with Moody's Analytics, called the October jobs performance "a huge gain," one that comes on the heels of an also substantial 9,500-job increase in September.

The case often argued against project labor agreements (PLAs) - that they are somehow exclusionary, allegedly favor union contractors and union workers, etc. - misses the mark. The true test of PLAs, which are single-site craft labor agreements used for large construction projects, should not focus on contractors or workers. The true worth and value of PLAs must be examined through the viewpoint of the project owner. After all, the owner is the one paying tens of millions of dollars (or hundreds of millions or even billions)

Unite Here — a labor union trying to organize workers at the Hyatt Regency Baltimore — gathered outside the hotel Tuesday to publicize a federal agency's decision to take the company to trial over alleged unfair labor practices. The National Labor Relations Board issued its complaint this month, alleging that Hyatt Regency managers "interrogated employees about their union activities," began "invoking harsh discipline" when employees arrived late to work and fired four people this year as part of that campaign.

Samuel Cook, a colorful and nationally known expert in labor law who had headed the labor department at Venable, Baetjer and Howard — now Venable LLP — died Tuesday of congestive heart failure at Keswick Multi-Care Center. He was 91. "Sam was a great leader and visionary not only in the practice of law but in union and business relations," said Maurice Baskin, a Venable colleague and labor lawyer. "He had been the dean of labor lawyers at the bar in Baltimore for many years.

Unlicensed home improvement contractors will undoubtedly be trying to take advantage “of distraught homeowners anxious to complete repairs as soon as possible,” Maryland's Labor and Licensing Department said the day after the storm called Sandy blew through the state. “Scam artists often follow damaging storms. Don't be fooled by an unlicensed contractor who offers to do a job at a lower price than a licensed contractor,” said Leonard Howie, secretary of Maryland's Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, in a statement Wednesday.