Police union allowed to picket Democratic Convention

[Freddie Stubbs]

By Rick Klein and Kevin Joy, Globe Staff and Globe Correspondent | June 4, 2004

A federal judge has cleared the way for the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association to picket all FleetCenter entrances starting Tuesday morning, meaning construction workers charged with readying the arena for next month's Democratic National Convention will have to make their way past lines of police officers.

The ruling was a victory for the police union, which sued for the right to assemble on FleetCenter property after demonstrating patrolmen were turned away from the city's convention contract-signing ceremony at the arena in late 2002. It comes at a particularly sensitive time for the city as it tries to calm labor disputes in the weeks running up to before the convention.

Members of the Greater Boston Labor Council are already threatening to reject a no-strike pact for FleetCenter work when it votes on Monday. And with construction inside the FleetCenter scheduled to begin next week, the Boston Police Patrolman's Association -- the largest and most powerful union still without a contract -- is free to picket on FleetCenter property and confront workers entering the arena.

"They want to get their message across, that the Democratic administration of the city has not taken care of its workers,'' said Thomas Drechsler, a lawyer for the patrolmen's association. "We just want access to people entering and leaving." The agreement, signed by US District Judge Joseph Tauro, allows the union to post eight officers at the two main FleetCenter entrances and two at a back entrance. The protests can continue on FleetCenter property through July 23 -- the Friday before the convention begins.

more: http://www.boston.com/news/politics/conventions/articles/2004/06/04/police_union_allowed_to_picket/

[truthspeaker]

1. best way for Boston to play this:

resolve the contract and publicize how much it costs and how broke cities are because of GOP cuts to federal funds going to cities and states.

[JI7]

3. yes, that's a great idea

i agree

[Monte Carlo]

2. The Boston Police Union is cutting off its nose to spite its face.

They are using the convention - something that they really shouldn't use - as leverage against Menino for a new contract.

This reflect very badly on the union and its leadership, as well as the city of Boston. The union should not jeapordize their chances to gain at the highest levels with Kerry for a local contract.

[PROGRESSIVE1]

6. The President Kerry needs to....

"screw" with this Local Union.

[MaineDem]

4. Massachusetts police have done this before

At a previous State Democratic Convention in SPringfield. I was there.

It was organized by Andy Card and Ron Kauffman. I wouldn't be the tiniest bit surprised if this was their handiwork as well.

[madrchsod]

5. to bad the democrats

didn`t do a little home work on the convention site and figure out that there was going to be trouble..if they were smart they would have had it in CHICAGO-a city that is solid democratic.a state that will be solid democratic-a state the republicans can`t fuck with...another brilliant idea from the national party leadership..dumb asses.