Law v. INTERNATIONAL UNION OF OPERATING ENGINEERS LOCAL NO. 37

**What Happened** Workers at Omni House Health Behavioral Services sued their union, International Union of Operating Engineers Local No. 37, claiming the union misled them during organizing activities. The workers filed a negligent misrepresentation lawsuit in Maryland state court, arguing the union made false statements that caused them harm. **What the Court Decided** The Maryland Court of Appeals dismissed the case entirely. The court ruled that state courts cannot handle lawsuits against unions when the claims involve labor organizing activities that might also be unfair labor practices under federal labor law. The court said federal labor law takes priority over state law in these situations, meaning the case had to be thrown out of state court. **What This Means for Workers** This ruling shows that workers have limited options when they believe their union has misled them during organizing campaigns. If the union's alleged misconduct relates to organizing activities that could violate federal labor law, workers cannot sue in state court for damages. Instead, they would need to file complaints through federal labor agencies. This makes it harder for workers to seek monetary compensation from unions for alleged misrepresentations during organizing efforts.