NYC Fire, Police Unions May Strike at RNC
New York Fire, Police Unions Threaten Strike
During Republican National Convention
NEW YORK — Police officers and firefighters announced an
impasse Tuesday in their contract negotiations with the city and
refused to rule out an illegal strike or sickouts during the Republican
National Convention.
Off-duty police officers have recently been showing up at Mayor
Michael Bloomberg's daily public appearances and picketing outside
Madison Square Garden, the site of the Republican National Convention
beginning Aug. 30.
Everyone has a limit, and the mayor needs to know we're close to
our limit," said Stephen Cassidy, president of the Uniformed
Firefighters Association.
In the days leading to the Democratic National Convention, Boston
firefighters had threatened to picket parties and other events attended
by delegates. A contract agreement was reached on the eve of the
convention, and no picketing took place.
In New York, several other city unions have already accepted a
5 percent raise plus $1,000 over three years. A mayor's spokesman
said Tuesday that the city's last offer to the police and fire unions
was a $1,000 lump sum payment plus an 8 percent pay increase, though
most of that hike would be contingent on the unions' agreement to
accept other contract changes such as lower pay for new workers.
But Tuesday, the police and fire union representatives said they
deserve more significant raises than other city employees.
"Mike Bloomberg says we're no different than people that push
paper," said Cassidy. "It's an insult to the firefighters
and police officers who risk their lives every day." He said
more than 1,100 New York firefighters have died in the history of
the department, including more than 300 on Sept. 11, 2001.
Firefighters have been without a contract since May 31, 2002, and
police since July 31, 2002.
Bloomberg has said the city cannot afford to give significant raises
to municipal unions.
"It doesn't matter what tactics they use, the mayor isn't
going to be intimidated into making a bad deal for the city,"
said Bloomberg's spokesman, Ed Skyler.
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