Special interests and the Kerry Camp

[Preon1]

NEVER let a John Kerry supporter tell you that he doesn't bend to the special interests.  The city of Boston is currently in a contract dispute with the Boston Police Patrolman's association (one of the MANY unions that dominate politics in Massachusettes).  'Sen' Kerry was to speak at the United States conference of Mayors, but decided against it when the union picketed the location.

In his words, "I don't cross picket lines.  I never have."

Personally, I find union politics (at least in this part of the country) to be horribly corrupt, so my view is more than a little tainted, but is this really the attitude that we need in a President?  What happens when some union decides to picket an event of national importance?  ...or is this just Kerry making an empty statement that will earn him points in the short run...

Kerry Won't Cross Picket Line for Speech

[Preon1]

Here's the text for those that can't follow the link:

New York Times
June 28, 2004

Kerry Won't Cross Picket Line for Speech

By DAVID M. HALBFINGER and KATIE ZEZIMA

BOSTON, June 27 - Caught in a labor dispute between his hometown mayor and the city's police and firefighters' unions, Senator John Kerry sided Sunday with the unions.

Mr. Kerry had planned to give a speech here on Monday morning to the United States Conference of Mayors.

But members of the city's largest police union, who have been working without a contract for two years, along with the firefighters, who are also in contract talks, have been picketing Mayor Thomas M. Menino, the host of the conference, wherever he goes, and were set to do so Monday at the hotel where Mr. Kerry was scheduled to speak.
 
With each side hoping to press Mr. Kerry to embarrass the other, his schedule remained up in the air for more than 24 hours as he debated whether to antagonize a crucial Democratic supporter or a union local and its - not to mention his - allies in organized labor, a core Democratic constituency.

By 8 p.m. Sunday, despite what one participant described as "tedious" efforts to broker a solution, Mr. Kerry's aides gave up hope that a deal could be reached to get the unions to suspend their picketing long enough for Mr. Kerry to attend the conference without having to cross the line.

"We know that people on both sides have been working in good faith to resolve this situation," said Michael Meehan, a Kerry spokesman, in announcing the senator's cancellation of his speech. "We hope that they will redouble their efforts to find a resolution to this situation."

Seth Gitell, Mr. Menino's spokesman, said the mayor was disappointed by Mr. Kerry's decision.

Later Sunday night, after attending Mass and receiving communion at St. Vincent's Waterfront Chapel overlooking Boston Harbor, Mr. Kerry was asked how he would respond to the mayor. "I don't cross picket lines," he said. "I never have.''

The Boston Police Patrolmen's Association is asking for a raise of about 17 percent over four years. Mr. Menino has offered 11.9 percent. Officials including Senator Edward M. Kennedy and Terry McAuliffe, the Democratic national chairman, have weighed in on the contract talks, hoping to push the two sides toward a resolution, but to no avail.

Mr. Menino, a Democrat, is a national co-chairman of Mr. Kerry's campaign. The union, meanwhile, endorsed Mr. Kerry in his 1996 Senate campaign - though other Boston Democrats noted darkly that, under different leadership, the patrolmen's union endorsed George Bush for president in 1988 over Gov. Michael S. Dukakis of Massachusetts.

Picketing police officers and firefighters delayed for three days the start of construction of the Democrats' convention hall inside the FleetCenter this month. If a contract is not reached, the police union has threatened to picket at the convention itself, which will take place July 26 to 29. Mr. Kerry's aides would not say what he would do should that occur.

Earlier Sunday, Mr. Meehan said there was still a chance at resolving the dispute over Mr. Kerry's Monday appearance. "We've got friends on both sides," he said. "We hope they work it out."

Both sides, however, appeared to be tossing the matter back into Mr. Kerry's lap, with little subtlety.

James Barry, the legislative agent for the 1,400-member police union, noted that Mr. Kennedy had also canceled plans to speak at the conference, citing a last-minute scheduling conflict. He said Mr. Kerry's failure to appear Monday would send a message "that we've got some serious problems here in Boston and Mayor Menino is in total denial."

"He loses the two keynote speakers, one the senior senator from Massachusetts and the other the presidential nominee of the party," Mr. Barry said. "He really needs to wake up and smell the coffee. He has serious problems."

"John Kerry is really a man who understands that police and fire cannot, will not, strike," Mr. Barry said. "This is the only thing that we can do, is protest."

Mr. Barry said the union hoped to reach an agreement before the convention, but would otherwise protest all events at which Mr. Menino was host. He did not say whether the union would try to force Mr. Kerry to cross a picket line to attend his own convention.

"If John Kerry respects our picket line tomorrow, I think we respect John Kerry," Mr. Barry said.

Mr. Menino, by contrast, has pressed Mr. Kerry to cross the union's picket line, arguing, among other things, that it is merely an "informational" one since the officers are not on strike.

The mayor also seemed to allude to the police union's surprise endorsement of the Republican candidate in 1988. "If these two unions say they're Democratic unions, they should pull their lines down for Kerry to go through, that would be the morally right thing to do," he said. "But they're thinking very selfish."

For an ally, though, Mr. Menino also had some pointed words for Mr. Kerry, whose Republican opponents portray him as vacillating and indecisive, when he seemed to dare Mr. Kerry to rebuff a labor union.

"As a candidate, it's about making decisions," Mr. Menino said of Mr. Kerry, repeating a line he used often this weekend. "He has to make that decision. I'm not going to make that decision for him. There's 250 mayors who walked through the lines. Mayors make those decisions every day of the year."

The city has reached labor agreements with about 73 percent of its unionized employees, including the 294-member emergency medical services division of the police union, Mr. Gitell said. The police are still waiting to hear from the state's joint labor and management committee, which will decide whether to recommend arbitration. The police do not want arbitration, but rather mediated sessions.

Talks with the firefighters are delayed until the union's lawyer returns from a vacation after the July 4 holiday, officials said.

[Horn]

"But members of the city's largest police union, who have been working without a contract for two years, along with the firefighters, who are also in contract talks, have been picketing Mayor Thomas M. Menino, the host of the conference, wherever he goes, and were set to do so Monday at the hotel where Mr. Kerry was scheduled to speak.

With each side hoping to press Mr. Kerry to embarrass the other, his schedule remained up in the air for more than 24 hours as he debated whether to antagonize a crucial Democratic supporter or a union local and its - not to mention his - allies in organized labor, a core Democratic constituency.

By 8 p.m. Sunday, despite what one participant described as "tedious" efforts to broker a solution, Mr. Kerry's aides gave up hope that a deal could be reached to get the unions to suspend their picketing long enough for Mr. Kerry to attend the conference without having to cross the line.

"We know that people on both sides have been working in good faith to resolve this situation," said Michael Meehan, a Kerry spokesman, in announcing the senator's cancellation of his speech. "We hope that they will redouble their efforts to find a resolution to this situation."


Whatever. Looks to me like he tried to get around it gracefully but partisan supporters on both sides didn't allow it and you decided to twist it even further for your own pitiful agenda.

Doesn't have a thing to do with the attitude of a future President. Get a clue.

h

http://www.bugmenot.com is a great solution>

[Eagler]

of course he won't go against the unions, they throw millions of member due $$$ at the donkey party, regardless of the wishes of those who paid those dues ....

if the man were any more two-face, he'd have 360 degree vision...

[Wotan]

The guy maybe a lying crook but I wouldnt cross that picket either. The guys worked for 2 years without a contract.

He will win a few points with the blue color guys in the NE.

[Preon1]

Originally posted by Horn
Whatever. Looks to me like he tried to get around it gracefully but partisan supporters on both sides didn't allow it and you decided to twist it even further for your own pitiful agenda.

Doesn't have a thing to do with the attitude of a future President. Get a clue.

I see nothing partisan in your quote, and nothing partisan about my 'pitiful agenda'.  I also have nothing against police and firefighters (I'm in the Air Force).  However, Kerry's statement has everything to do with the attitude of a future President.  By saying that he doesn't cross picket lines, he writes unions a blank check.

And just for full disclosure, these guys have worked 2 years without a contract because they're asking for more than the city can pay and refuse to accept arbitration.