As if the Dem convention isn't already in enough trouble ..
Electrical workers to honor picket line
Action with police union may alter convention wiring
By Rick Klein, Globe Staff | June 6, 2004
A key electrical workers' union is promising to honor the police picket line this week at the FleetCenter, a move that could leave Democratic National Convention organizers scrambling to get telephone and data wiring installed in time for next month's event.
Myles Calvey, business manager for Local 2222 of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, said some of his members will join the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association on the picket line starting Tuesday. Local 2222 stands strongly behind the police union in its stalled contract talks with Mayor Thomas M. Menino, Calvey said.
"Our members will not cross, absolutely, positively, unequivocally," he said. "We're hoping everything gets resolved. If everything gets resolved, we'll go in and do a great job. If it doesn't, they'll have to go wireless."
Calvey's is the first local building trade union to commit to staying away from the convention job site. With a tight construction timeline, and miles of phone and data lines needing to be installed, the move could hamper efforts to ready the FleetCenter by the time the convention begins July 26. It could also embolden other unions to join them in refusing to cross the picket line.
The move comes at a critical time for Menino and convention organizers as they try to get convention preparations at the FleetCenter underway Tuesday while avoiding potentially embarrassing labor clashes. It puts more pressure on the mayor to wrap up contract talks with city unions, including the powerful patrolman's association.
With a federal judge clearing the way last week for the police union to picket near FleetCenter entrances starting Tuesday, the police contract has emerged as the most important for Menino to settle to keep construction on track and to project a labor-friendly image of Boston during the convention.
Local 2222, which represents about 3,800 Boston-area Verizon workers, is slated to have about 50 members install telephone and telecom equipment for the convention. The convention host committee committed to using those workers as part of its contract with Verizon, the equipment supplier. Work must begin next week to ensure completion by the start of the convention.
Host committee officials declined to comment on how they'll proceed without the Verizon union members. Verizon could provide nonunion managers for the job, or the host committee could use other nonunion electrical workers on the project. The convention host committee may also be able to break its agreement with Verizon and find another telecommunications provider if the company's workers refuse to carry out the project.
The other local electrical workers' unit, IBEW Local 103, intends to put members to work despite the police pickets. Local 103 does not include Verizon workers, and that union's leaders say they will not take the work set aside for Local 2222.
"That's their work, and if they choose not to cross the picket line, that's their decision," said Michael Monahan, Local 103's business manager. "We're not going to do their work."
The decision by Local 2222 raises the stakes of tomorrow's bargaining session between the police union and the City of Boston. It also casts further doubt on the prospects of the Greater Boston Labor Council signing off on a project labor agreement with convention organizers before construction work begins Tuesday.
The project labor agreement is being sought by the convention host committee, Boston2004, because it will include a labor-peace guarantee, which would probably persuade most of the building trade unions to cross the picket line. The labor council is scheduled to vote on the measure tomorrow night.
Richard Rogers, executive secretary-treasurer of the Greater Boston Labor Council, said he still holds out hope that a settlement can be reached when the city and the police union resume talks before the state Joint Labor-Management Council tomorrow.
"The stakes are so high that it's incumbent that both sides explore every option in an effort to reach agreement," Rogers said.
Thomas J. Nee, president of the patrolmen's association, said he is glad to have the support of Local 2222. He called on other building trade unions to join in refusing to work on the convention while city workers are without contracts.
"There's been much support pledged, and we're honored by it," Nee said. "This game's got to stop. We can't just have meetings. We need a contract.
Talks with the police union showed some progress in recent weeks, after Police Commissioner Kathleen O'Toole got involved at the bargaining table. Friday's bargaining session ended as the two sides accused each other of not being serious about wanting a solution.
The city's chief operating officer, Dennis A. DiMarzio, said police union officials have refused so far to consider the city's offer of a fast-track arbitration process, which would make sure that a deal would be in place before the Democratic convention begins.
"If Tommy Nee believed what he's talking about, he would agree to an expedited arbitration," DiMarzio said. "The one thing we are in agreement on is that [Friday's] session accomplished absolutely nothing."
Yesterday, the city settled its contract with its own electrical workers, who are also affiliated with IBEW Local 103. The settlement affects only seven city workers and has no impact on convention work, which is being done by private contractors.
In addition to the police patrolmen, those still lacking contracts with Boston are firefighters, police detectives and supervisors, and most of the Service Employee International Union affiliates. Some contracts expired two years ago.
Calvey, Local 2222's business manager, described the decision to respect the police picket line as an easy one, given the police union's past support for electrical workers' strikes.
Rick Klein can be reached at rklein@globe.com.
© Copyright 2004 The New York Times Company |
