Boston’s Mayor Thomas Menino approached our union several weeks ago and asked if we would be willing to sit down and discuss the budget. We told him that we are always available to talk to him and that we were not opposed to exploring cost-saving options with him.
The next thing we know, the Mayor announced to the press that he was asking all of his unions to give up their raises and step increases for one year.
Looks like not all city workers will go gently into Tom Menino's wage-freeze night: SEIU 888, which represents city clerical workers, today launched MeninoWatch to make the case the city should use money from its "rainy day" fund to make up anticipated budget deficits. They even have a t-shirt contest for "the first person who can tell us how much the mayor will use from the rainy day fund." You may recall that Kevin McCrea recently made the same assertion, that the city is sitting on a pile of cash.
Worth noting that the people opposing Question One are backed almost entirely by Big Government Unions.
The MTA and SEIU gave hundreds of thousands of dollars to the pro-tax movement.
No one should be shocked that government employee unions are fighting Question One to the death. If it passes they will lose their superhuman benefits and government perks that no one except the CEOs of AIG get.
Coaliton for Our Communities report 1
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