PAX Centurion - November / December 2013

www.bppa.org PAX CENTURION • November/December 2013 • Page 17 T he Boston City Council received the arbitration award from the Joint Labor Management Committee and began holding hearings to find the truth. Mayor Thomas Menino and his biggest ally the Boston Globe Editorial board were attempting to bullrush the City Council into outright rejection of the BPPA arbitration award. The Mayor was bound by law to support the award, but chose to disobey that law. Menino publicly called for the Council to outright reject the award without even holding a hearing. Many City Hall observers believe Menino’s true motivation was to help John Connolly become Mayor, thus boxing MartyWalsh in with the arbitration award dur- ing the election. Menino has had no love for Marty as long as I’ve known both of them. Like many others that have had honest disagreements with TomMenino. Menino never forgives or forgets. Real or imagined slights will be punished. Marty must have slighted the Mayor at some event sometime that really pissed him off or simply didn’t say hi one day. This election for mayor, this arbitration award, well let’s just say TomMenino wasn’t gonna let that “law” get in the way of some Menino payback. He was going to get a twofer. MartyWalsh and the BPPA, what a way to go out. Council President Steve Murphy along with all the other councilors were in the middle of the election period themselves. The Globe and Herald stopped the presses! But the Council through President Murphy stayed the course demanding of the city and union to supply facts and figures. The hearings were diligent and in depth. Questions from every councilor were detailed and demanded full explanations. The facts of the arbitration were brought forth through public testimony by the administration and the BPPA. One piece missing was theArbitra- tor’s opinion. Which is usually standard to have soon after issuing the award. We ended up waiting almost four weeks for the arbitra- tor’s opinion due to serious illness in his family. When we received the opinion it was in-depth to his logic and evidence presented to him over the course of the past year from which he made his deter- mination of the award. The MeninoAdministration sought this arbitration, spent over $500,000 on experts and outside council to present their case. In the end their position could not be defended. Menino just two years ear- lier in the middle of the worst recession, since the great depression, settled the Fire contract voluntarily for $124 million for five year contract. This BPPA arbitration award by the neutral arbitrator came down to this...it was cheaper ($85 million) and longer (six years) than what this administration (Menino) had just settled voluntarily with Fire. The MeninoAdministration could not defend their posi- tion before the arbitrator or the council. The facts were not made up. The arbitrator is a professional who listened questioned and weighted evidence presented by both parties. The Menino admin- istration has one of the worst labor records throughout its 20 year reign. So instead of blaming the Councilors the Globe should be praising them for doing their job. Why doesn’t the Globe or Herald actually look at the facts of the situation? They want to call the shots. Steer the ship. Drive the agenda. If they really wanted the story they would have looked at the Menino administration for its extremely poor management and leadership with its labor force over the last twenty years. Rest assured you won't read any of these facts in the Boston Globe or Herald. City Councilors and Marty Walsh take hits from blatantly biased Boston Globe Editorial Board FUEL OIL • PLUMBING HEATING • AIR CONDITIONING 617-282-4300 1146 Dorchester Avenue, Dorchester, MA 02125 PROUD SUPPORTER OF THE BPPA! CALL FOR ALL YOUR FUEL OIL AND PLUMBING NEEDS: • Oil heating & gas •Bathroom& kitchen • Installations and repairs remodeling • Hot water heaters our specialty •General repairs • Gas fitting & appliance installations •Senior discounts Master Lic.. #12430 C arole l und r.e. G ail d e C oste Real Estate Agent Gail.carolelund@gmail.com Office: (781) 769-0122 Cell: (617) 407-9217 Fax: (781) 326-3776