No-strike deal rejected by council
Preparations for convention may be affected
The Greater Boston Labor Council last night rejected a project labor agreement with organizers of the Democratic National Convention, meaning that convention construction will begin at the FleetCenter today without a no-strike guarantee from the influential consortium of local unions.
The vote could convince more construction workers to honor the picket line planned for this morning at the FleetCenter, where more than 100 Boston police officers and their union allies are expected. The labor council's decision also represents a symbolic blow to the city's efforts to project a labor-friendly image during the convention, and it comes amid mounting pressure on Mayor Thomas M. Menino to quickly wrap up talks with city unions.
"This sends a very strong message that the mayor needs to be at the bargaining table to resolve this with the unions," said Richard M. Rogers, executive secretary-treasurer of the Greater Boston Labor Council.
Last night's labor council meeting pitted the public-employee unions, which are angry over the fact that they are still working without contracts, against several of the largest private-sector building trade unions, which are eager for convention business. A project labor agreement would have guaranteed that trade unions would not strike, but in a sign of solidarity with the public unions the pact was defeated on a voice vote that Rogers described as "overwhelming."
Meanwhile, in a sign of growing uneasiness in the Democratic Party, the chair of the Maine Democratic Party said that her state's 36 convention delegates would probably not cross a union picket line at the convention. Dorothy Melanson said she is confident the city can settle its contracts before the convention begins July 26, but said that if the police union has no contract and sets up pickets at the FleetCenter, Maine Democrats would be inclined to respect it.
"We're a party that supports labor all the way," said Melanson, who added that she intends to discuss the issue at a meeting for delegates scheduled next week. "We would honor picket lines."
Members of the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association were planning to arrive at the FleetCenter shortly after midnight last night, and are promising to keep their pickets running straight through the convention if they don't get a contract. Patrolmen's association leaders say they will be joined by police officers from New York City, Plymouth, and New Bedford, as well as a smattering of other Boston city workers, forcing members of building trade unions to decide whether to stand with their fellow union members or start work on schedule on $14 million in construction jobs.
The pickets were expected to go up after negotiations between the city and the union broke off yesterday afternoon following just two hours of talks. The police union rejected an arbitration offer, and both sides said they remain far apart on key salary provisions. Talks with Boston Firefighters Local 718 also failed to produce an agreement over the weekend, and that union has called on its members to join the police officers on the picket line. In addition, the president of Service Employees International Union Local 888, Susana Segat, complained yesterday that the city still doesn't appear to be serious in talks with her union.
The Menino administration expressed confidence that work would continue despite the potential disruptions.
"We're hoping the people will show up and will get the job done," said Michael Kineavy, director of the mayor's office of neighborhood services, last night.
Despite the labor council vote, leaders of the Building and Construction Trades Council of the Metropolitan District will almost certainly sign a project labor agreement in the days to come, to ensure that most of the work proceeds on schedule.
Nonetheless, the lack of contract settlements could delay the work needed to ready the FleetCenter for the convention, which is less than seven weeks away. Construction workers are slated to start work at the arena this morning, and at least one union scheduled to work at the arena -- representing
The possibility of disruptions has local Democratic leaders concerned, particularly because the FleetCenter construction is on such a tight schedule. Philip W. Johnston, chairman of the Massachusetts Democratic Party, made frantic phone calls yesterday to city leaders and local labor officials, trying to see if a compromise could be reached to avoid picket lines at the job site.
"We really don't have much leeway in terms of getting the convention work done," Johnston said. "It is a serious situation. I hope both sides continue to talk so this is resolved in the next few days."
As convention organizers make contingency plans to cope with the protests, Menino said yesterday that the convention host committee will seek out another telecommunications service provider if Verizon cannot convince its employees to work. Seth Gitell, a Menino spokesman, said the mayor will try to seek out a union shop if possible to provide the nearly $3 million in telecommunications services in the convention budget. A Verizon spokesman, John Vincenzo, declined to comment yesterday on the company's next move.
About a dozen city bargaining units are still working without contracts, but a breakthrough with the powerful and vocal patrolmen's association would probably have cleared the way for all the building trades to start work at the convention. But that didn't happen at the bargaining table yesterday; both sides left negotiations accusing each other of not being serious about wanting a settlement.
At the meeting before the state Joint Labor-Management Committee, the patrolmen's association officially rejected the city's offer of expedited arbitration. Under that proposal, an independent third party would have reviewed each side's argument and come back with a contract settlement before the Democratic National Convention.
According to a copy of the city's letter to the union obtained by the Globe, city negotiators said they deem an 11.9 percent wage increase over four years to be "appropriate and reasonable," and invited the police union to propose an economic package of its own. That's roughly in line with the contract signed in March by the Boston Teachers Union, which was given 9.2 percent salary increases over three years, although that deal will provide significantly higher pay increases to some teachers.
Menino aides said the union's decision to reject binding arbitration shows that it is more interested in embarrassing the mayor and the Democratic Party on an international stage than in reaching an equitable settlement.
"You can only draw two conclusions: They either want to disrupt the convention and cause chaos, or fear that they can't prove their case before an arbitrator," said Dennis A. DiMarzio, the city's chief operating officer.
But police union leaders continued to blame the city for the impasse, accusing the city bargaining team of walking out on negotiations without even telling the union's team that it was leaving, a charge DiMarzio denied. Thomas J. Nee, president of the patrolmen's association, said that after months and months of the city not scheduling bargaining sessions, the union is not comfortable with handing over its right to negotiations to an arbitrator.
"We have a right to the process, and they can't simply walk right around it," Nee said. "The arbitration system is designed for when the system has broken down, not for when someone has avoided the system."
Last night's vote on the project labor agreement ignited passions at the Boston Teachers Union headquarters in Dorchester. Those lobbying against the proposed pact held signs and chanted slogans outside, and one building-trade union member said on his way in, "It's not going to be fun."
Steven Gillis, president of the 800-member Boston bus drivers' union, said he voted against the agreement because his union and so many other city workers lack contracts. Gillis and his members arrived at the site of the meeting in buses, with signs in tow.
"We're voting for solidarity," Gillis said. "The Democratic convention should know that workers in the city of Boston don't have contracts."
Globe correspondent Heather Allen contributed to this report. Rick Klein can be reached at rklein@globe.com.
