Ms. Liz Williams

Ms. Elizabeth Williams, Acting DirectorOffice of Workforce Information and PerformanceMaryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation1100 North Eutaw Street Room 316Baltimore, Md. 21201-2206(410) 220-6070, (410) 333-0853(FAX)

Liz Williams, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Department of Labor and Licensing Regulations, told The Examiner that Sutherland is not licensed in any of the two dozen engineering related fields for which her agency provides credentials.Without an engineering license, Maryland law forbids anyone to call himself either a "professional engineer" or "engineer."Doing so is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $500 fine or six months in prison for each offense.When reached by phone this week, Sutherland said he would not comment on his status as an engineer.

Elizabeth Williams noticed the increase in Hispanic surnames among accident victims."We noticed what appears to be an increase in fatalities (among workers) where English is not spoken or is a second language," said Williams, a spokeswoman at the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, an arm of the state's division of Occupational Safety and Health.
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Among them, 28 were in construction and four were in manufacturing, although Williams said none were known to involve poultry processing plants.The agency reported 16 workplace deaths that year in transportation and three in education and health.No evidence points to an intentional placement of minorities or workers with limited English-speaking skills in risk-prone jobs, Williams said.Rather, many of the workers are unskilled and tend to gravitate toward jobs that require no training, notably manufacturing and construction labor, she said."I don't know if they were pushed toward the job," Williams said.

Liz Williams, a spokeswoman for Maryland's Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulations, said the state is investigating the incident, which will take about a month.

Elizabeth Williams(410) 230-6070ewilliams@dllr.state.md.us

Elizabeth Williams noticed the increase in Hispanic surnames among accident victims.

"We noticed what appears to be an increase in fatalities (among workers) where English is not spoken or is a second language," said Williams, a spokeswoman at the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, an arm of the state's division of Occupational Safety and Health.
...
Among them, 28 were in construction and four were in manufacturing, although Williams said none were known to involve poultry processing plants.

The agency reported 16 workplace deaths that year in transportation and three in education and health.

No evidence points to an intentional placement of minorities or workers with limited English-speaking skills in risk-prone jobs, Williams said.Rather, many of the workers are unskilled and tend to gravitate toward jobs that require no training, notably manufacturing and construction labor, she said.

"I don't know if they were pushed toward the job," Williams said.

Liz Williams

"We would certainly be in support of any legislation that will raise the cap," said Elizabeth Williams, a spokeswoman for the Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.

Maryland businesses apply for H2B visas with the department's assistance.Williams said that the landscaping industry is the largest user of the H2B visa program in Maryland, followed by sports and recreation businesses.

She said that while Maryland's seafood industry does not need as many visas -- applying for 948, to the 3,625 applications for landscaping jobs -- it is hit hardest by the shortage, since immigrant workers make up "a tremendous amount" of that workforce.

Going forward from here, it doesn't look like they're going to have any massive layoffs here in Baltimore, said Elizabeth Williams, spokeswoman for the Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation.
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Williams said state regulators were told that only isolated reductions of one to two positions would occur in Maryland.

State regulators who oversee the administration of unemployment benefits spoke with Bank of America officials this week.The bank said it would inform state officials if anything changed, according to Williams.

Liz WilliamsMaryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation(410) 230-6070email: ewilliams@dllr.state.md.us