What Is a Hiring Hall?
A hiring hall is an organization that is charged with the responsibility of providing workers to employers when and as needed. In most situations, this type of organization is connected with organized labor, and functions under the direction of a labor union. Any employer who has what is known as a collective bargaining agreement with the union can call upon the hiring hall to fill vacancies with workers that the union has screened and certified as capable of filling the open position. Depending on the terms of the agreement, an employer may utilize the hiring hall on a voluntary basis, or be required to use the hall exclusively to fill open positions. In situations where the collective bargaining agreement calls for the mandatory use of the hiring hall, this establishes a situation that is known as a closed shop. The employer does not have the option of seeking employees from another source, and must choose from among the labor provided by the hall. Promoters of the closed shop see th
