CHANGE MY LOCATION
Local
California News
Multimedia News
State economic Web site touted low union numbers until bloggers rallied
SEE THE LATEST ON THIS STORY
Related Topics: WASHINGTON
WASHINGTON (Map, News) - A Maryland state economic development Web site was touting the state’s low union membership rates in a bid to lure businesses, until pro-labor bloggers started hammering the practice.
Maryland Department of Business and Economic Development chief David Edgerley axed state-sponsored online promotional material that has for many years downplayed organized labor’s strength and presence in Maryland.
The “Choose Maryland” site said Maryland has a “quality workforce … key to achieving corporate goals” and pointed out that private-sector union membership in Maryland is below the national average and that between 1990 and 2001, unions won representation rights for only 1 percent of the total new firms.
Bloggers from Free State Politics were the first to red-flag the material, but soon other popular Maryland politics discussion sites, including Maryland Politics Watch, entered the fray and called on the state to remove the page.
“Outraged e-mails are flying across the state’s entire labor movement,” Maryland Politics Watch’s Adam Pagnucco wrote. “We cannot believe that rhetoric typical of Georgia and Oklahoma would be sanctioned at any level inside the [Gov. Martin] O’Malley administration.”
Officials with DBED say the page’s existence predates their instatement, likely originating during former Democratic Gov. Parris Glendening’s administration between 1995 and 2003, when the state was intensely competing with “Right to Work” states for manufacturing jobs. They acknowledged, however, that staff researchers had occasionally updated data on the page during O’Malley’s tenure.
Eric Luedtke of Free State Politics e-mailed Edgerley asking him to pull the info on Saturday. By the end of the day, Edgerley had promised to modify the site.
“[Edgerley] understood the concern and took care of it right away,” DBED spokesman Dave Tillman said. “We are reworking new content that promotes Maryland as an attractive destination for union and nonunion employers alike.”
Union representatives from around the state all said the language seemed out of character with the O’Malley administration, but nonetheless it concerned them.
“When we saw it, we were dismayed that a Web site intended to promote Maryland being a high-quality place for business would rely on the notion that being friendly to business means being unfriendly to labor,” Anna Oman, communications director for the Service Employees International Union Local 500, said. “My impression is that it wouldn’t be in line with the governor’s views, but any time something comes across as anti-worker, we are concerned.”
Comments from Examiner Readers
10:22 AM MST on Fri., Apr. 18, 2008 re: "Harford officials vow to counter union criticism"
Report as inappropriate
5:12 AM MST on Wed., Apr. 16, 2008
re: "Harford officials vow to counter union criticism"
Report as inappropriate
4:48 PM MST on Tue., Apr. 15, 2008
re: "Harford officials vow to counter union criticism"
Report as inappropriate
2:47 PM MST on Tue., Apr. 15, 2008
re: "Commercial cleaners poised for strike"
Report as inappropriate
6:06 PM MST on Fri., Dec. 28, 2007
re: "Commercial cleaners poised for strike"
Report as inappropriate
Examiner Reader said:
People wake up!! No matter how much NJ criticizes this issue it won't help. BRAC is law, it will happen. Major corporations merge, people lose jobs, Too many jobs are lost, and workers not replaced. Peoples lives are forever changed, many for the worse. At least Fort Monmouth federal workers still have decent jobs. Lets not bash other areas that some of you might move to.It makes for bad neighbors and maybe friends. We are all pawns on this BRAC decision. At least you have the option not to move to Maryland. So any bad feelings, go to your local politician, not the county where you might live. Some people are just a little spoiled and expect everything in life to be there way or no way. So give this controversial issue a chance, who knows it might be a good thing for the rest of your employment for FT Monmouth, soon to be C4isr APG> By the way I'm a New jersey residence.
3 agree | 2 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Examiner Reader said:
One of the things that Maryland and New Jersey appear to have in common are scumbag politicians. Most of us up here in NJ who are thinking of moving are now planning to boycott your county (you know the one with the banjo at the end of the dirt road) to avoid the ripoff taxes designed to welcome us to Maryland.
3 agree | 1 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
JD Bawlsac said:
The people aren't coming because they have roots in NJ just like people in Maryland wouldn't come. Children in school, brothers and sisters living near by and yes, they like living were they are right now. Why would I want to uproot my whole life style when I can get another job. The Government won't tell me were I should live. Just because they think it's good for the Army. It's not good for me. Let all the years of work go stumbling forward with new people in the positions. Let's close Aberdeen Proving Ground and see how many people react the same way in Maryland. So, don't through stones at us. We are acting like all the other groups before that were BRAC'd. They didn't want to move too. I won't blame you for doing everything in your power to keep you life style. So, don't try to bait people who don't want to move.
5 agree | 1 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
A giraffe dies said:
Let's just give everyone a $50 an hour raise, that would solve everything. Then everyone can be FAT CATS! Those mean corporations are just trying to keep us down. Just like the Union head for the local UAW said when GM shut down their Baltimore facility... "why shut down? Just make more vans so everyone can work." Unions - the reason this country's jobs are going overseas. Also, why do Unions support Democrats who want to give our jobs (especially jobs like this one) to illegal immigrants?
6 agree | 2 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
md reader said:
That's good these companies work these people to death and give them starvation wages, maybe the companies will find out if they have to empty their own trash for a change and scrub the toilets, this is a long awaited wake up for the FAT CATS
27 agree | 25 disagree
Vote on this comment: I agree or I disagree