National labor leaders call on Menino, police to compromise

National labor leaders are attempting to broker a compromise between the city and the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association to end pickets during the Democratic National Convention, according to three union members who said they had been contacted by members of the national AFL-CIO exploring options for a deal.

The union members, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said a deal would most probably require the city to reach settlements with firefighters and two smaller police unions that remain without contracts. Other Boston labor leaders said they were hopeful of a deal.

''There's still an opportunity to avoid picketing," said Richard Rogers, executive secretary treasurer of the Greater Boston Labor Council who said he has been in touch with national labor leaders. ''Finalize deals with the firefighters and the other unions, and the pickets should vanish."

Seth Gitell, a spokesman for Mayor Thomas M. Menino, said there were no efforts underway to settle the contracts and that he was not aware of any effort toward a compromise.

''Nothing is going on," Gitell said.

The Boston Police Patrolmen's Association yesterday renewed its threats to picket at welcoming parties for delegates Sunday night, despite receiving a contract from a state-appointed arbitrator. Union officials said they want to protest the fast-tracked arbitration that led to yesterday's contract decision. In addition, they say, they will stand with the city's firefighters, detectives, and police superior officers unions.

The prospect of delegations staying away from convention events and embarrassing Democrats has increasingly concerned national labor leaders anxious to present a unified party during next week's convention. Shortly after yesterday's contract was issued, Menino was on national television, urging delegates to attend.

''The police union should not stop anyone from going through those lines," Menino told CNN's Judy Woodruff.

''There is no reason to picket -- come, come," Menino later told reporters, referring to delegates.

With news of Boston's police contract filtering around the country yesterday, several delegations said they may still boycott their parties if unions are picketing.

''If there is a picket of any kind, we will not cross it," said Nebraska Democratic Party executive director Barry Rubin.

Several delegates were confused by the union's decision to go forward with picket plans despite the contract settlement.

''Are they still asking people not to cross?" said Mike Erlandson, chairman of the Minnesota Democratic Party. ''Are they saying, 'We're picketing but go ahead to the party?' If there's a picket line they don't want us to cross, I don't believe we'll cross it. We might just not have an official party. It's a sad thing."

The Massachusetts state party chairman, Philip Johnston, said some delegates may feel more comfortable attending their party at the Boston Public Library now that the union's contract has been settled under terms favorable to the union -- 14.5 percent in pay raises over four years.

''I think they will be much more reluctant to take actions which would be harmful to Senator [John F.] Kerry," he said. ''But I can't predict. To some extent it depends on the position of organized labor in the next few days. People are looking for signals from the leadership of organized labor -- the AFL-CIO."

According to a Boston Police Patrolmen's Association flier, union members will put up picket lines at 23 party locations around the city. ''The values and principles of the Democratic Party have been disparaged," union president Thomas J. Nee said shortly after a late-afternoon press conference. ''I'm absolutely going to picket, and I'll be out at the venues with the firefighters, superior officers, superior detectives, and detectives until their contracts are brought to term."

Boston City Councilor James Kelly, who often sides with unions, urged the union to abandon their picket plans. ''I respectfully urge him to reconsider. The events of Sunday serve no purpose whatsoever."

In a poll conducted by the Boston Globe this week, a majority of 400 delegates polled said they were aware of the labor dispute in Boston, and would be unwilling to cross picket lines to attend convention events. A slight majority, 53 percent, said they would skip an event that was picketed by a local union.

Many of the delegates have strong union connections. Of the 400 delegates polled by KRC/Communications Research for the Globe, 42 percent said they or a member of their immediate family are a member of a labor union.

Rick Klein and Maria Cramer of the Globe staff and Globe correspondents Michael Levenson and Heather Allen contributed to this report.