Lawyers for the Convention Center filed an emergency
motion on Friday to vacate a Pennsylvania labor relations hearing examiner's
decision to reconsider the ban that keeps union carpenters from working there.
In March, hearing examiner Jack E. Marino dismissed
complaints by the Metropolitan Regional Council of Carpenters and Teamsters
Local 107 alleging that the two unions had been improperly barred from working
at the Convention Center. On April 16, Marino reopened the issue, writing that
there could be merit to their complaints.
Convention Center officials said no new evidence was
introduced to justify Marino's reversal of his original order upholding the ban
on Teamsters and carpenters, issued on Feb. 2. Lawyers in their filing with the
state Labor Relations Board said Marino "acted in an arbitrary and
capricious manner."
The reversal, Convention Center lawyers wrote, questions
the integrity of the Pennsylvania Labor Relations Board. Marino's failure to provide
any reasons, they said, "raises the specter of serious impropriety,
including allegations of public corruption and improper political
influences."
Convention Center lawyers have asked for a reinstatement
of the Feb. 2 order or for an independent hearing examiner to replace Marino in
this case.
The carpenters and Teamsters lost the right to work in
the building after failing to sign a new customer-satisfaction agreement by a
management-imposed deadline last May. Four other unions that worked in the building
signed before the deadline. Both unions signed a few days later, but the ban
stood.
After the carpenters and Teamsters lost jurisdiction in
the building, their work was divided among the remaining four unions.
William Hamilton, head of Teamsters Local 107, said in
April that Marino's reversal was "positive news."
"It will give a forum," Hamilton said, "to
at least hear the facts."
Source: Philly.com
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