By Associated Press
BOSTON - The state’s labor mediation board voted Thursday to have an arbitrator settle the contract dispute between the city and its police union, but the timetable left little chance a deal could be struck before the Democratic National Convention begins in less than two weeks.
The 2-1 vote by the Joint Labor-Management Committee empowers a single independent arbitrator to rule on the wages, duration and other elements of a labor agreement for the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association.
But the committee did not name an arbitrator, and the parameters of the arbitration would not be determined for another week, leaving just one business day before the convention’s July 26 start.
Both city officials and the Boston Police Patrolmen’s Association, which have been locked in a bitter contract dispute, were critical of the decision.
The city had wanted expedited arbitration, which would lead to resolution before the convention, while the union has long opposed allowing an independent third party to usurp the power of its members to vote on their own contract.
“It’s not a winner for the City of Boston, it’s not a winner for the union, and it’s clearly not what the mayor wanted,” said association president Thomas Nee, who has vowed to picket outside every event Mayor Thomas Menino attends during the convention.
City attorney Merita Hopkins said the committee had ignored its duty to act on behalf of public interest and public safety.
“It’s very clear from the chair’s statement that he felt there was no need to rush arbitration despite the fact that we have a national security event in the city,” Hopkins said. “So it leaves me puzzled at the very least.”
The city has offered an 11.9 percent raise over four years, while the union, which has been without a contract for more than two years, wants almost 17 percent.
Attorney General Tom Reilly on Wednesday urged the two sides to reach a quick settlement, warning that police need to focus on providing security for the convention. Reilly wrote to the Joint Labor-Management Committee asking that the dispute be sent to arbitration.
“Given the unique and challenging situation faced currently in the city of Boston - hosting a major convention at a time of increasing threats of domestic terrorism - it is critical that we have all hands on deck among our public safety personnel so that undivided attention can be paid to security and overall public safety,” Reilly wrote in the letter. “We don’t need any distractions during this period of time.”
Reilly’s statements echoed claims by city officials that police pickets during the convention could tire out police and jeopardize public safety.
Nee said Reilly’s claim that the dispute could be a distraction for police “baseless.”
“There is not one scintilla of evidence to support the allegation that public safety will be undermined,” he said. “We serve the city with every ounce of our being.”