Playing with fire: Bush clashes with New York's finest

[struggle4progress]

28 August 2004

Was it a fireman or a policeman who yelled so disrespectfully? It doesn't matter, because they have the same gripe. When Michael Bloomberg, the Mayor of New York, emerged from a community meeting in the West Village a few evenings ago, he was met by this: "You stink! You're garbage!"
<snip>

It is Mr Bloomberg they mostly blame, however, for their diminished standing. For two years now, the finest and the bravest of the Big Apple have been working without contracts with the city. Negotiations over a pay rise have fallen apart and tempers are badly frayed. The Mayor, pleading a budget crunch, is refusing to budge from an offer of a 5 per cent wage increase over three years.
<snip>

Now they intend to disrupt the Republican Convention as well. There will be pickets outside Madison Square Garden on each of the four days of the gathering, which will culminate on Thursday with the formal nomination of George Bush as the party's 2004 presidential candidate. Nor have they ruled out wildcat strikes or so-called "blue flu" sick-outs, with officers failing to show up for work.
<snip>

"It may have escaped your attention that New York City's police officers and firefighters - the heroes of 9/11 - are engaged in a bitter contract dispute," it said, saying the unions were making a "personal appeal for your help and support in the effort to correct what has become a perennial injustice". To their disgust, the White House swiftly responded that it had no intention of getting involved.
<snip>

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/americas/story.jsp?story=555904

[ayeshahaqqiqa]

1. I saw signs during the protest

supporting the police and fire fighters.

[franmarz]

2. New York Protestors

I am watching C-Span right now, and see wall to wall people that are passing times square, and have been for 4 hours--anti-Repuke protestors, way to go you-all.

[Moderator]

3. Kick

:kick:

[Catfight]

4. Why doesn't NY recall Doomsberg?

[Art_from_Ark]

5. Typical bu$hite reaction

Spout off a lot of platitudes about "supporting" the men and women in uniform when it suits their purpose, but ignore (or worse) the uniform wearers when no one's paying attention.

[dudeness]

6. firefighters and police should strike NOW!

as a firefighter in australia..my union has rejected a 13% over 3 year offer and commence industrial action post haste..i would recommend my comrades in NY do the same..