Labor group endorses O’Malley over Arroyo

Yawu Miller

The Greater Boston Labor Council’s endorsements in the at-large City Council race last week sparked controversy as the consortium of unions gave their endorsement to challenger Matt O'Malley and snubbed incumbent Felix Arroyo.

“Certain unions opposed Felix because of certain development issues,” said GBLC Executive Secretary/Treasurer Richard Rogers, explaining the vote.

Rogers said the building trades unions were critical of Arroyo for his stance against the construction of Boston University's Biosafety Level 4 laboratory, which has been the focal point of community opposition. Building trades unions have traditionally supported large-scale development projects in the city.

Rogers, who himself voted to endorse Arroyo, said the councilor did not garner the two-thirds majority necessary for an endorsement. In the end, Arroyo got the nod from 22 of the 39 unions. In addition to O'Malley, the GBLC voted to endorse at-large councilors Michael Flaherty and Stephen Murphy as well as Mayor Thomas Menino, who is facing a challenge from at-large Councilor Maura Hennigan.

The vote, which effectively gave the nod to three Irish American candidates, left many black and progressive labor activists embittered.

“I feel bad for what happened,” said Tony Hernandez, and organizer with the Painters Union. “Arroyo is 100 percent with us. He'll show up on a picket line anytime. I can't say that for anyone else.”

In spite of the GBLC vote, Hernandez and other labor activists say they plan to work for Arroyo on election day.

“The Greater Boston Labor Council is supposed to look specifically at candidates who have the best pro-labor policies,” said Steven Kirschbaum, a member of Bus Drivers Local 875.

"They should have endorsed Team Unity and Gibran Rivera," he added, referring to the coordinated campaign run by Arroyo and fellow councilors Charles Yancey and Chuck Turner. Rivera is challenging councilor John Tobin.

Arroyo said the union officials asked him just one question in their interview before the endorsement vote — whether he would support the Biosafety Level 4 lab.

While Rogers cited Arroyo's opposition to development projects, O’Malley, who edged Arroyo out of the endorsement process, has also publicly come out against the Biosafety Level 4 lab.

“He stands for the same issues I stand for,” Arroyo said of O’Malley. “I’m not opposed to them endorsing O’Malley, but we have the same position on the issue. I’m at a loss.”

Metropolitan Boston Building Trades General Agent James Coyle could not be reached for comment by the Banner’s press deadline.

Rogers said Arroyo lost support in the GBLC after Service Employees Industrial Union, the Teamsters and other unions split with the AFL-CIO. Those unions, which have more progressive and more diverse memberships in the Boston area, are no longer allowed to vote in the GBLC endorsement process.

Although local labor activists say they will continue to work together, despite the recent departure of SEIU from the AFL-CIO, the endorsement vote underscores significant divisions between the local unions. Building trades unions have long been accused of excluding the workers of color who make up the bedrock of Arroyo’s political base.

Labor endorsements are coveted by political candidates. Unions represent natural organizing bases with narrow political agendas. More importantly, union members can often be counted on to work for candidates on election day.

Mayor Thomas Menino, who this year was endorsed by the GBLC, has clashed with several of its members, including the Patrolmen’s Union, which held demonstrations and picketed in the weeks leading up the last year’s Democratic National Convention. Arroyo was consistently supportive of the Patrolmen’s Union, joining their pickets.

“It was a major travesty that they would endorse an anti-labor candidate,” said Kirshbaum, noting that Menino has violated labor agreements with the Bus Drivers Union.

Kirshbaum warns that the union leadership may be out of step with the rank-and-file labor movement in Greater Boston.

“There are many more people of color and many more women,” he said.

Hernandez agrees.

“Look around you,” he advises the union bosses. “Your pension is going to be supported by us. We are the majority. There's no stopping us.”