# State Police, Senate Democrats forge alliance



## KozmoKramer (Apr 25, 2004)

*By Raphael Lewis, Globe Staff | May 25, 2005*

The State Police Association of Massachusetts, the only union to endorse Mitt Romney in the 2002 governor's race, has parted ways with the governor after 18 months of stalled contract talks with his administration and has forged an alliance with Senate Democrats, in a bid to force the matter into binding arbitration.

The 2,000-member union, which also backed George W. Bush and his father instead of Massachusetts Democrats in the presidential contests of 2004 and 1988, is accusing Romney of trying to ''bust" the union by attempting to revoke decades-old rights to seniority, grievance procedures, and holiday and shift choices.

''We're very shocked," State Police union president John Coflesky said yesterday. ''We didn't believe it would happen this way."

Coflesky said the administration didn't offer a contract until last month, after the union rented billboard space on the route that Romney uses to commute to the State House that said ''Call John Coflesky." Then the administration offered 2 percent nonretroactive pay raises, which means that the raises would amount to 1.3 percent annually over the three-year life of the contract, Coflesky said.

''It's mean-spirited," Coflesky said, noting that his union members cannot strike.

Eric Fehrnstrom, Romney's communications director, defended the administration's negotiating strategy, saying the union was being offered a fair deal that the majority of public employee unions had already agreed to: 2 percent annual raises from the date the contract was signed.

''We don't make public policy based on political endorsements," Fehrnstrom said. ''While the governor appreciates the past support of the State Police union, he has an obligation to do what's right for the taxpayers."

Legislative Democrats are moving to give the police union the upper hand. Last week, Senate budget writers unveiled a spending plan for next year that would require the administration to enter arbitration talks, a right the union hasn't had since the early 1990s. Under current law, both management and the union must agree to enter arbitration, and the administration has refused to do so.

The Senate moved this week to further erode the administration's negotiating position. On Monday, Senator Jarrett T. Barrios, a Cambridge Democrat, sponsored a budget amendment that would widen the scope of arbitration talks to include topics such as promotions, assignments, and trooper transfers, topics that by law are off the table.

The amendment sailed through on a voice vote with no debate.

At the state Democratic Party convention in Lowell on May 14, Barrios announced that he had snared the State Police union's endorsement in the Middlesex District Attorney's race, even though the field of candidates was still forming.

Both Coflesky and Barrios insisted yesterday that the union's endorsement was not contingent on Barrios's championing of their arbitration legislation. Rather, they said, Barrios has spent years as chairman of the Public Safety Committee pushing bills favorable to law enforcement in general.

Nonetheless, Gerard T. Leone Jr., the former state and federal prosecutor who recently joined the Middlesex DA's race, said yesterday that he is disappointed that he never had a chance to vie for the union's endorsement.

''I spent 15 years working with the State Police, doing what prosecutors do, which is working the streets and the courtrooms," Leone said. ''Pushing legislation was not my contribution."

Asked whether Romney could no longer count on an endorsement in next year's gubernatorial election or the 2008 presidential election, Coflesky said, ''That would be a logical assumption, I would say."


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## Irish Wampanoag (Apr 6, 2003)

Hey they finally realized "KEEPING YOUR MONEY MITT ROMNEY" was not the smartest move to endorse especially for a union. Next time let the Demorats and Reprivatecans work for your vote and earn it.


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## Jasper (Dec 29, 2004)

the democ rats are no friend of the police. our democ rat controlled legislature has many who moonlight as defense attorneys. massachusetts was last to lower b.a.c to 0.8 and only did so when the the loss of federal funds was threatened. also last to get ok to use tasers. Governor Romney supports the Quin Bill, the democ rats gutted it and no longer allow police academy credits. Republicans support police doing traffic details - the democ rats (cohen and demarco) filed a flag man bill. two other democ rats just filed a bill to take health insurance co payments out of municipal contract negotiations. this would allow the city or town to set the rate you pay without it being negotiated (at the same time they lowered their own health insurance contribution from 20% to 15%). democ rat politicians are the first to cry police brutality, etc, etc... don't be fooled by these liberals. they are no true friend of the police. the liberals, like Reilly, will say and promise anything to get an endorsement. they can't be trusted.


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## bbelichick (Aug 25, 2002)

Agreed on most counts; however, if you are a State or Municipal Employeee:

"Ya gotta vote Democrat to live like a Republican."

The Republicans are no friend to Police Unions, they are trying to crush them nationwide.


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## Clouseau (Mar 9, 2004)

*" of trying to ''bust" the union by attempting to revoke decades-old rights to seniority, grievance procedures, and holiday and shift choices". *

Can anyone elaborate on this?
Who and why does he care to remove seniority. WTF.
Is this Romney or the higher up brass looking to control the troops like their little bitches, and to hand out punishments?

This comes up with our contract all the time. They want control. We fought years to get seniority and now they try to take it every time we're in bargaining. 
Give them nothing guys. Fight until the end. This whole damn job and the few benefits it has is all based on seniority, shifts, V days etc.


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## GateKeeper (Jan 10, 2005)

Collective Bargaining for rights to seniority, vacations, sick time, allowed days off and shift and days off bids have been hard fought in the past by those who took on the fight long before us and continue to fight to get these rights! 

No public safety Union, or any Union for that matter, should give up those rights. Not to a Rep Gov. who would like nothing better then to privatize most professions so the CEO’s of private companies can make millions off of unskilled, uncaring labor working for this State.

We as State and City employees don’t do this job to make a rich living. We do it because we care about our communities, our cities and towns and the people we live with. Most of us barley make enough to survive as it is in this high cost of living in this State that we live in.

Not to turn Dem’s against Rep’s. But I really do think Democrats have done far more then the Republican Party when it comes to law enforcement. The current Bush administration has already erased or let expire the funding for the community policing in our communities that the past Democrats have put in place. 

Both parties have their flaws. And this could go on for pages. But you have to consider who in office will do better for the people you work for and with, your brother and sisters who have sacrificed a lot, including their lives, to make this a better place to live.


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## j809 (Jul 5, 2002)

That's what you get for voting Republican. I just can't believe how many police officers vote for the guys that try to take away overtime, bargaining rights, pro-privatization. I find most officers that vote Republican are GUN-NUTS that would sell their soul and their mother in order to keep their M-16 collection and all their other guns. Look at the Republican record all over the country, specifically Texas, where Pres.Bush privatized prisons with private security companies and his brother In FL is following the same route. SPAM endorsed Romney and Bush and now it's time to backtrack. Remember, don't vote for the guy that punched you in the eye. He did it once and shame on you if he knocks your other eye out too.


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## Jasper (Dec 29, 2004)

check out the todays Patriot Ledger (www.southofboston.com). it says just what I said yesterday about the democ rat controlled state legislature thumbing their nose at toughening up oui laws because so many of them moonlight as defense attorneys. For the past 5 years this state has declined 8 million dollars per year in road improvement funds because the liberals refuse to bring our o u i laws up to federal standards.... they have very warped priorities. These democ rat state legislature/defense attorneys make a lavish living portraying police as liars... and some of you actually support these phoneys ?!? look at the big picture. Democ rats are flaming liberals who are no friend of police or those who choose to live an honest lifestyle and work for a living. their mantra is tax, tax, tax, codle diddlers and other scum bags. Think about the Bachman Bill which absolutely panders to the sexually dangerous pedophiles - need I mention that Senator Bachman is a democ rat...? Don't be scammed by the liberal political party that wages war on you again and again. No Republican has proposed ending police details and the Quinn Bill. It was Commiecrats - oops - Democ rats that consistently do that. ANYONE who votes for a Democrat in this state is either a liberal or a short sighted fool.


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## mpd61 (Aug 7, 2002)

J809 and Jasper.........

This is why Politics sucks. DEMOC V. REPUB is sometimes represented by extreme views like the above that paint every class with a broad brush.
It's like sports team rivalry. 
:roll: 
I'm a registered independent, however, seem to vote more for Republican Candidates. The only political campaign I ever worked on was for Pat Lawton/Sheriff (guess which party?)
:lol:


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## mpdcam (May 5, 2002)

Anyone who votes for someone solely based on if they are a Democrat or Republican is very short sighted and unrational. Neither side is perfect by any stretch. The democrats are for cutting the Quinn Bill and Details and the republicans are for screwing with the retirement system and cutting jobs. Lets get real here. Neither side has been much of a friend to Law Enforcement lately. The Democrats continue to make our jobs harder by being more and more leinent on criminals, while the Republicans make them harder by cutting money to Law Enforcement. Give me a break!!!!

The clinton administration gave us money for Community Policing and to hire more officers, only to make it harder in the court system by making things easy on criminals. On the flip side, Bush has stripped away any extra money going to law enforcement to fight the war so departments have to deal with rising crime rates and work with fewer and fewer officers. You tell me which is better...


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## j809 (Jul 5, 2002)

> You tell me which is better...


The one that doesn't screw with my money. Mo money in my pocket makes me a happy voter. So far, the Democrats win for me.


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## Dane (Sep 26, 2003)

> That's what you get for voting Republican.


Let's see. For the ten years prior to this contract negotiation, SPAM members have never had less than a 5% raise. They have also enjoyed the fully funded Quinn Bill, retroactive pay raises, take home cruisers and favorable contractual language. Every one of these years has been under a Republican governor. Hmmm. I guess that's all they got for voting Republican. :roll:


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## j809 (Jul 5, 2002)

Gov.Weld was a great governor, a middle of the road guy. Celluci was Weld's man and Swift was just useless. Romeny is trying to make a name for himslef and is a hopeful for the White House. his ideas and beliefs are parallel to the majority of the Republican party. Privatization and reducing benefits including union busting.


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## GateKeeper (Jan 10, 2005)

Gov Romney needs to go. I don't care if you're a Rep or Dem. Weld &amp; Celluci and even Swift, for the short term, were good Gov. They never took on the rights of the working class as Gov Romney is. Weld did try privatization once, and then gave up. Romney won't, he wants to take away the Union rights and bring everything back to the pre Hoffa days.

It's being done all along the south as well in the feds. Research it, you will see.

The working stiffs, us, in this state need a change.


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## Jasper (Dec 29, 2004)

the commiecrats, oops, i meant democ rats, will support police just like they are currently supporting the military - don't the liberals compare our servicemen to "Nazis. Pol Pot and the Russian Gulag"... ? Democrats suck big time. Don't get scammed by these flaming liberals. Look how they repeatedly blast and disrespect the military and police officers. By the way, I know as a fact that despite who a police union endorses, the vast majority of us vote Republican anyway. Police and Democrats (a.k.a.-whining liberals) are like oil and water - we don't mix.


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