Posted on 06/25/2004 2:09:20 PM PDT by Libloather
Unions tell Kerry not to cross picket lines
Friday, June 25, 2004 11:07 AM
(Boston - AP) — The Boston Police Patrolmen's Association has a message for Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry: Don't cross our picket lines when you come to town on Monday.
The union is promising to picket events associated with the US Conference of Mayors taking place in Boston over the next several days.
Kerry is scheduled to speak before the municipal leaders on Monday. But police union president Thomas Nee says they want Kerry to honor their picket lines.
The police union has been working without a contract for two years and is promising to protest during next month's Democratic National Convention in Boston.
A Kerry campaign spokesman says the senator plans to show up for his speech, but wouldn't comment on whether he'd cross any picket lines.
One huge Heinz pickle...
His knees look especially easy to break.
Cross that line Johnny.......scab!!!
bump
Oh, this is rich!!!
The Democratic Convention may be a dangerous time in terms of security. I hope that the police don't try to strike during that time -- it would be most irresponsible.
Biting the hand that feeds it, no less.
Or it could be a setup to make Senator Kerry look good. You know, such as he shows up, gives some great speech to the cops, then personally brokers a deal that ends the strike. The crowd sighs, the women faint, the press lauds...Wait
Oh, we're talking about Senator Kerry. Nevermind!
It's a ploy... he will make it a media event to show his Union Solidarity and won't cross the line.
Is that tongue-in-cheek?
I think a strike by a union in the face of the Democrats would be rich!
I would suspect the reverse. Kerry can't hurt himself in Boston. On the other hand, crossing a picket line could show that he is not a knee-jerk liberal.
(Of course for us consiratorial types, anything he does MUST be a ploy! :)
Hating Bush is more important to them.
As with the Democrat party, Unions care only for one thing... Money & Power... Ok then, they only care about two things...
Don’t cross us, Hub cops warn Kerry
By Elisabeth J. Beardsley
Friday, June 25, 2004
The head of the Boston police union is calling on U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry to refuse to cross a picket line when the presidential candidate sweeps into town next week for a national mayors' gathering.
U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy, pleading a scheduling conflict, bailed out yesterday from a speaking engagement today with the U.S. Conference of Mayors, as angry cops prepare for mass protests over a festering contract stalemate with Boston Mayor Thomas M. Menino.
Kerry's Monday speech at the Sheraton Boston Hotel is expected to draw tons of political glitterati - all of whom will face a picket line of jeering public workers if the dispute isn't settled by then.
``It's my hope that Sen. Kerry, too, will honor our line,'' said Boston Police Patrolmen's Association President Thomas Nee. ``There's no doubt in my mind that the content of his heart is with us and with the plight of the working class.''
The Bay State's junior senator does plan to show up for his speech, but Kerry aides refused to say whether he would cross the picket line - even while noting he's never done so before.
``That's a hypothetical that doesn't exist,'' said Kerry spokesman Michael Meehan. ``Sen. Kerry hopes that his friends on both sides of this issue can work this out to their mutual satisfaction.''
Crossing a picket line could cost Kerry a potential endorsement from the BPPA, which helped to sink former Gov. Michael S. Dukakis in 1988 when it threw in with then-Vice President George Bush.
Kennedy aides telegraphed a stern warning, even as they insisted his change of heart was strictly related to a major hearing on Iraq and that Kennedy called Menino yesterday to wish him luck.
``Sen. Kennedy has a history of not crossing picket lines,'' Kennedy spokesman David Smith said. ``If he was to attend this event, he was confident something could have been worked out.''
The picket line ultimatum aims to wreak havoc on all politicians and inflict more embarrassment on Menino at a time when he wants to showcase Boston for 200 of his mayoral peers - whose confab amounts to a dress rehearsal for next month's Democratic National Convention.
Menino spokesman Seth Gitell said, ``Our position is clear - Mayor Menino wants to get to the bargaining table.''
Some pols are already cringing and thinking about skipping events, after the BPPA blasted out a letter to all mayors and DNC brass, threatening political warfare against picket-line violators.
Boston Police Commissioner Kathleen O'Toole said she expects the protesting officers to be ``peaceful'' and law-abiding, but added that her department is ``prepared to handle any situation.''
But he doesn't have the sack.
They wanna eat their own? Great.
Maybe France,Germany and Russia will help him break through the line.
Kerry would like that.
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