Cicilline to attend mayors meeting despite union protest
12:55 PM Mon, Jun 08, 2009 | Permalink
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PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- Providence Mayor David N. Cicilline says that he does not intend to bow to the Providence firefighters and police unions' request that he step aside from hosting the U.S. Conference of Mayors summer meeting in order to allow members of President Obama's administration to attend. Cicilline briefed a small gathering of local reporters Monday morning at the Convention Center, following Friday's announcement that Vice President Joseph Biden and eight members of President Obama's cabinet had abruptly pulled out of the major gathering, which is coming to the city this week. The mayor said he was "disappointed by the recent turn of events," which was precipitated by the firefighters and police unions' threat to picket. Cicilline, who is a member of the conference's advisory board, said he lobbied nearly five years ago to bring the conference to Rhode Island for the first time. "My parents raised me better than that," he said. "I've been very involved and worked hard to bring this to Providence and I intend to be its host." Biden, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder; Shaun Donovan, secretary of Housing and Urban Development; Commerce Secretary Gary Locke; Labor Secretary Hilda L. Solis, EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson and Senior White House Adviser Valerie Jarrett decided not to attend the annual gathering of mayors when the city's firefighter's union informed the Obama administration of their intent to picket. Biden has made it his policy not to cross union picket line. He and others had signed up to attend the conference three weeks ago. Cicilline said that the event still represents a "really exciting opportunity to showcase the City of Providence" to a national audience. He said the conference, which is expected to bring about 1,000 mayors, their staff and families, will have a "really important direct impact" on the city's hotel, restaurant, and arts and entertainment industries. "It's an opportunity to expose others to Providence and their experience might encourage others to visit," he said. As host, Cicilline is to play a significant role in the four-day conference. Cicilline will be giving presentations on the city's efforts to develop a green economy. He and other department heads, including Police Chief Dean Esserman, will give presentations on the city's community policing model, its after-school program, and community revitalization programs. The mayors' conference ostensibly is an organizational meeting, where the mayors elect their president, who serves a one-year term, and the conference's executive board. But it is also a chance for mayors to network, share stories of what's worked in their communities, hear about best practices from policy experts, and maybe get a sneak preview of what is to come from various industry leaders. About 180 mayors are currently registered for the conference. None have backed out of conference as a result of Biden and the Cabinet members, said Cicilline and conference spokeswoman Elena Temple. Local 799 of the International Brotherhood of Firefighters' union, which represents some 500 city firefighters, has been in a long-running contract dispute with the city that stretches a decade. The last contract was reached in 2000. Lodge No. 3 of the Fraternal Order of Police, which represents about 475 officers, has had less of a tumultuous relationship with the city, although it has been without a new contract since 2007. Both unions are protesting the mayor's attempts to unilaterally change health and pension benefits for all city workers this year in order to close a $17 million deficit. 
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Is Cicilline going to announce a contract settlement at 2pm? Otherwise, this is nothing more than chest thumping to inflate his sagging ratings. Yes, his parents did raise him better than that. If you invite someone, you'd better be there to greet them! If his didn't he would look like even more of a fool, if that is possible. Let's beat on the people protecting the citizens of the city. That's a great way to demonstrate leadership!
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So the unions are now contributing to the revenue loss for local restaurants and business owners for this event? Maybe they should realize that they aren't the only ones taking a hit these days.
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The mayor refuses to publicly admit that the firefighters have agreed to many changes in the contract. In fact, the “binding” arbitration should have already resulted in a new contract, but the mayor refuses to agree to it. These men and women put their lives on the line daily to protect us, yet the mayor treats them horribly and refuses to give them a contract that they deserve. He should be ashamed of himself. This is a complete injustice. They deserve raises after 5 years of this insanity. Give them a contract, mayor. You clearly have something against the firefighters, or you would agree to the contract the arbitrator has put forth. Isn’t that the whole point of binding arbitration? The firefighters have conceded on many terms, but you continue to lie to the public and tell them they’re not giving in. It’s simply not true, and the truth should be known.
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"My parents raised me better than that," he said.
Yeah, right. I guess they were too busy to raise his criminal brother "Better than that." Defending mobsters does take up a lot of one's time, I suppose.
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Good for the mayor. While I'm not a personal fan of his, he cannot let these unions hold him, the city or the residents hostage any longer. If they don't like their contract, quit for crying out loud. I used to be very supportive of public employees, but their antics and cries of being treated unfairly are beginning to wear thin. I'm tired of their whining.
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Way to go Mayor!!!!
The way these punks at 799 are extoring the city and the rest of the state is sickening!!!!
Don't ever let up!!!!
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lol its funny now it will be the police and fire taken up a picket good for them, he has done nothing but lie, and now its coming to bite him back in the butt oh well I was in pa recently and i have to say what a eye sore RI is right now going down the 95 road it seams worse than buffalo,
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I find it ironic that it is now the police and fire department who is doing this good for them the heck with friends of providence. what about the safety of providence oh wait the mayor is to busy protecting criminals both legal and illegal ones . use e check next time buddy
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Keep up the fight Local 799!!!
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Thank god someone mentioned the holding the city hostage routine. Have not heard it in a while.
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While I want to respect and honor our public defenders, their behavior in this whole affair can only be described as grasping and greedy. The whole city is suffering and they want a sweetheart deal. And now they have embarassed the city (not the Mayor, the city) by their grandstanding. Shame on them. I have to say, Stand your ground, Mayor! Don't let them push us all around.
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This whole firefighter picketing thing is really sad. It is making me lose all respect for firefighters. According to some studies, Rhode Island has the highest firefighting costs per capita of ANY STATE IN THE ENTIRE NATION! Yet the Providence FF's still want more. They treat Ciccilline like a criminal. Let's revert back to a volunteer fire department............
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Hey GL I'm sure the unions picket line people have to eat lunch at these downtown restaurants. The union presence are actual helping everyone. They just want a fair wage for a fair days work. They deserve a good wage for their duties. Its a dangerous job. Pay them they earned it. Public safety should be the city's number one priority.
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Sorry, as, you are dead wrong. The proper prioritization for the city is effective education, maintaining an excellent infrastructure, and a suitable environment for the growth of the city's economy and attracting investment. Overpaying for public safety as shown by the bloated fire and police staffs doesn't led to better safety anymore than overcompensating executives leads to better companies. Overpaying always leads to sub par performance.
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Does the new contract still give the mayor power to force them to march in the gay pride parades!
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The City and FFs agreed to binding arbitration on many of their disagreements.
An arbitrator has issued a decision which the Mayor refuses to acknowledge.
Hasn't he done this before ? Didn't he go to Ct. to try to overturn another arbitrator's decision ? Didn't he lose ?
Oh,that's right,we the taxpayers lost,but the Mayor's friend Kasle sure did not.Didn't we pay this atty.at least $500k ?
I can just imagine what we've pd.this latest fool to lose yet another arbitration.
Mayor Cicilline will not sit down w/the FFs to negotiate.Instead,he issues lists of terms that the FFs must accept w/o question.That is an incredibly disrespectful way to interact with anyone.Didn't his parents raise him "better than that"?
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Honestly, if no one attended the Mayor's conference, would the sun still rise in the morning? Are they going find cure for cancer or something? Or is it just a bunch of pompous politicians partying on the tax payers dime?
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'My parents raised me better than that'.
Could this Mayor be more disingenuous.
He hasn't listened to one single piece of advice his father has given him since he became Mayor and his mother supports his disregard of said advice.
Not that I think that his family should be giving him instructions on how to run the City,but no one should reject advice out of hand, especially when the advisor has experience in the ways of city government.
This Mayor is not a good administrator because he can't relate to anyone who doesn't share his views.He can't be objective in his negotiations w/the PFD because he's let personal animosity toward the FFs motivate his actions.That's just plain stupid.
In the end though Dave from Ashaway probably has it right.Who cares if a bunch of self-serving Mayors don't come to Prov.? How many of them planned to attend to further their constituents interests ?
Not one of these Mayors cares about an infomational picket by the police and fire.They care about hobnobbing w/Federal officials interviewing for jobs in Washington.Let them do that on their own dime,not the taxpayers.
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Hey richard maybe your right lets just cut everyones pay. They can work for peanuts to feed their families, and live at Disney. I just can't understand how you could say their overpaid?? So, military is underpaid??? How much is your life worth?? It'll get to the point where noone wants the jobs like police, FF, or teacher....Who will want to invest if their business isn't protected? Who will insure them from robbery and fire if it is not adequate? That's just leads to you get what you pay for...
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