City closes in on labor peace

With national Democrats and labor leaders pressuring both sides, Boston's firefighters union and the city have scheduled 11th-hour bargaining negotiations for this morning in hopes of eliminating picket lines during convention kickoff parties tomorrow.

The firefighters became the last union holdout after the city wrapped up contracts for two small police unions yesterday afternoon in negotiating sessions at the Parkman House, on Beacon Hill. The talks raised hope for ending the threat of picketing.

Even as an arbitrator awarded them a contract Thursday, leaders of the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association suggested they would picket parties welcoming delegates, whether or not other unions reached settlements before then, to protest being forced into fast-track arbitration.

But Thomas J. Nee, the union's president, said yesterday that he would call off pickets if firefighters reach a settlement.

"Then we'll have a barbecue," he said. "The pickets can come down. But if the firefighters' contract is still unsettled, I'm not leaving. I will stand in solidarity with fire. And we will have everybody from around the country with us."

National labor leaders publicly continued to support pickets yesterday, saying they would join picket lines if a deal for firefighters isn't completed.

"If the firefighters and the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association want assistance from us, I'm still committed to them," said Massachusetts AFL-CIO president Robert Haynes.

After the long, bitter fights in this year's contract negotiations, relations have become tense between Menino and Boston's firefighters. The union had come close to a deal about a month ago, but then rejected it, angering the mayor. The sides met last week, but made no progress.

"We had off-the-record discussions with the city," said Nick DiMarino, president of Boston Firefighters Local 718, referring to last week's meeting. "But we sat down with our bargaining team and thought it wasn't in our best interest to bring it back to the membership. We were concerned it might be rejected.

Late yesterday afternoon, union leaders and Menino signaled they were waiting on the other side to make the first move.

"If they're willing to come to the table like other unions have, we'll get the contract done as quickly as possible," Menino said at a 4 p.m. press conference to announce contracts with unions for detectives and superior officers.

"We're still waiting for a phone call," DiMarino said later.

Behind the scenes, the AFL-CIO, with Senator Edward M. Kennedy, contacted city officials and firefighter union members to break an apparent standoff, clearing the way for talks this morning.

"We're making phone calls and trying to encourage the parties to come together and reach a settlement," said Lane Windham, AFL-CIO spokeswoman.

Harold A. Schaitberger, general president of the International Association of Fire Fighters, was scheduled to meet with Kennedy yesterday, as Kennedy sought ways to help broker a deal, according to his spokesman, Jeff Zack. Kennedy hosted a dinner last night at his Hyannis Port home for convention organizers and labor leaders.

Labor strife continued to discourage state delegations from attending tomorrow night's parties.

In a letter to Boston's host committee yesterday, Texas delegation chairman, Charles E. Soechting, wrote that he will "encourage all members of the Texas delegation to boycott Mayor Menino's DNC welcoming parties and to respect any picket lines that might be established."

"I am most unhappy that the city of Boston has not seen fit to resolve these labor issues before our convention," Soechting wrote.

Earlier this week, convention organizers canceled parties for the Ohio and Michigan delegations after both delegations said they would boycott their parties. The Maryland delegation notified convention organizers Thursday that they would not attend its party. Several other delegates said they would honor picket lines outside parties.

The contracts reached yesterday with detectives and superior officers mirror the patrolmen's pact, providing pay raises of 14.5 percent over four years. Both unions also won concessions that allow officers to pick shifts based on seniority.

Like the police patrolmen's contract, an arbitrator issued the agreements, and they do not require ratification by the union rank and file. The City Council has scheduled a special meeting tomorrow to vote on funding the three contracts.

"It's a relief," said Police Commissioner Kathleen M. O'Toole. "The Boston Police Department is looking forward to providing a great level of service over the next several days, as we host the Democratic National Convention in Boston. I've been talking to lots of people over the last few days, and they are relieved that the collective-bargaining issues are behind us and are looking forward to a great event and to showcasing Boston in a very positive way."

Thomas Montgomery, president of the Boston Police Detectives Benevolent Society, said: "The last several months have been really contentious and really a tough time, not only for the city and its citizens, but for the police as well. But today, we were able to reach an agreement. We think it's a fair agreement.

Four months ago, Montgomery urged his members to accept a proposed contract that would have paid his members 11.5 percent over four years. The membership overwhelmingly rejected the deal.

Also yesterday police released figures showing that the department spent $205,050 on police overtime during the US Conference of Mayors in June, when the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association picketed the mayor's events.

Rick Klein of the Globe staff and correspondent Heather Allen contributed to this report.