Board Orders Boston Police Arbitration

[papau]

Highest paid in Country (?) want 17 percent over four years, are offerred 11.9 percent - and finally we go to arbitration!


http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/national/AP-Democratic-...

Board Orders Boston Police Arbitration
By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

Published: July 19, 2004
BOSTON (AP) -- The state's labor management board voted unanimously Monday to send the contract dispute between the city and its police union to immediate, expedited arbitration, paving the way for the conflict to be resolved before next week's Democratic National Convention.

The Boston Police Patrolmen's Association has been without a contract for two years and has threatened to disrupt the convention festivities by setting up picket lines at events attended by Boston Mayor Thomas Menino, including the 29 delegation parties scheduled for Sunday night.

The arbitrator's ruling would be binding and cannot be appealed. The police association opposes allowing a third-party arbitrator to resolve the dispute, saying that would usurp the union members' ability to vote on a new contract.

Union president Thomas Nee called the vote ``absolutely outrageous,'' pointing out that the Joint Labor Management Committee voted on the matter last week and opted not to send the matter to expedited arbitration.

Nee said the union would escalate its protest plans for the convention week and would reconsider its earlier decision not to picket outside the convention site itself.<snip>

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