Kerry Won't Cross Picket Line for Speech

[NashVegas]

Caught in an acrimonious 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.

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http://www.nytimes.com/2004/06/28/politics/campaign/28kerry.html?hp

[senseandsensibility]

1. I'm sorry

there's no gray area on this one. I'm as big a Kerry supporter as anyone here but I would have been very disappointed if he crossed a picket line for any reason. Just a couple of years ago my local teachers' union was on the verge of a strike, and NO local Democratic office holders or candidates crossed our "informational" picket lines. In fact, it was my job to call their offices to request that they not do so. On every occasion they agreed instantaneously not to cross. It wasn't even up for discussion. I would expect no less from Kerry.

[TexasProgresive]

3. I was imagining a great scene

The Dem pols don't know about the picket and arrive on the scene. They not only don't cross the picket line but give an impromptu speech and take up positions on the line allowing some of the union people to take a bathroom break. Member of CWA local 6171

[senseandsensibility]

9. I love it!

Kerry should be able to use this to his advantage politically somehow, even if it's not that dramatic.

[blackcat77]

10. Same here -- I'm union all the way nt

[senseandsensibility]

11. Yeah

You can't be sort of union. You either are or you aren't. Kind of like this election. You either are anti-* or pro-*. No middle ground.

[bigbillhaywood]

2. Some will say this shows Kerry's labor credentials.

I won't do that because I know his less than stellar performance on labor issues. Anyway, I just want to give credit to the Firefighters for pulling a major media coup with their picketing during Kerry's visit. They could have pussed out, and given into Democratic Party apparata (who you know were most likely working behind the scenes to get the union tops to pull the picket line for Kerry's visit), but they kept a hard line.

[Monte Carlo]

4. It would be suicide for Kerry to cross a picket line...

... so I'm glad he's not, even though I really don't think much of what Kean and the police unions are doing here. It reflects very badly on themselves and the entire city to use the convention as leverage. Menino and them should have already taken care of this.

[bigbillhaywood]

5. Hey look, I'm no fan of police unions, but I am a union man and let me

tell you, you can't blame them for using the convention as leverage. Unions are all about leveraging deals by any means necessary. If they did not do so, they would not exist. How would you propose they leverage the City? An illegal police strike? Or maybe they should just count on Menino to listen to reason.

Reminds me of when Boston City Councilors crossed another union picket line to meet with Menino a few years back. Councilors complained of the picketers "rude behavior". Hey, slimebag politicians, it's a picket line, not a fucking tea party-- what did you expect? A nice hello or have a nice day?

[Rose Siding]

7. Will this union turn around and endorse Bush?

I know they are asking for 18% and the Dem mayor has already offered nearly 12%. That seems close to a reasonable settlement but I admit I *don't* know if Boston cops are currently hideously underpaid.

I'd just hate to see a union that frequently supports repubs end up extorting the dems at the nat'l convention.

[bigbillhaywood]

8. No they're not underpaid.

I actually don't support police unions at all. They have horribly conservative public policy stands on many issues, they defend cops against police brutality charges, they help very powerful people aggrandize themselves, have no sense of soldiarity with other unions, selfishly pursue their own interests above all else, and make no attempt to encourage their members to avoid busting up picket lines of other unions at the behest of their superiors.

I was just defending their tactics, since they can apply to any union, and in fact apply to the Firefighters as well-- past and present.

[struggle4progress]

6. He's doin' the right thing. eom