Loopholes for a gravy train

CONFRONTING an existential threat to their high-pay, low-exertion over time work at construction sites, municipal police unions are rushing to negotiate separate deals with their communities to preserve police details. Governor Patrick was right to take on this wasteful ‘‘only in Massachusetts’’ tradition in legislation he signed in April; he would be right to eliminate or sharply curtail the exemptions that unions from Revere to Hopkinton are now hurrying to exploit.

The International Brotherhood of Police Officers calls the exemptions ‘‘loopholes’’ on its website and suggests language that can be quickly added to existing contracts before

the new regulations take effect Oct 3. But the proposed language would not just preserve police details on local jobs; it would also insist on police details on state-owned roads, or where the state has awarded the contract. This effectively guts the reform.

In the draft regulations for the new detail policies, the Patrick administration had agreed to respect local collective bargaining agreements where they specifically call for police officers on worksites. But now the union is overreaching. The administration would be in its rights to eliminate those exceptions — and it can do so administratively, without new legislation.

Supporters of details argue that moving to civilian flaggers would jeopardize safety and not save much money, because prevailing wage laws require flaggers to be paid nearly the same as police. But moving to flaggers would allow for other efficiencies in work

rules. For example, police unions now require most contractors to pay details in four-hour shifts, so an officer working for five hours would have to be paid for eight. The Department of Transportation estimates savings at $7.2 million a year. But the symbolic value of bringing Massachusetts in line with 49 other states is worth far more.

As for safety, the new regulations apply only to roads with low traffic volumes and speed limits under 45 miles per hour. If unions feel so strongly that only trained officers can safely direct traffic around worksites, and wages aren’t an issue, they can still apply for the jobs — as flagmen.

Detail supporters packed a transportation hearing room Monday night, jeering and hooting down anyone who defended the reform. They should consider how details, inflated pensions, and other municipal union practices are fueling frustration among voters, which could lead to danger ous overreactions — such as a vote to eliminate the income tax on November’s ballot. At Monday’s hearing, a transportation official tried to read a letter aloud from antitax activist Barbara Anderson making exactly that point. He was shouted down.