A union representing public works staff in Revere accused Acting Mayor Patrick Keefe of threatening them as a result of the union endorsed an opponent of his within the race to succeed former Mayor Brian Arrigo.
The American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees Council 93 Local 880 filed a grievance with the state Department of Labor Relations on July 26 that accuses Keefe of constructing hostile feedback towards union members at a July 25 assembly in Revere, based on a duplicate obtained by the Herald.
But Keefe is firing again, saying in a press release supplied by a metropolis spokesperson that the report from the union is a “fabricated exaggeration of my frustration” and he doesn’t “have time for petty political arguments.”
“(The report) exposes the ugly underbelly of dirty politics and it will be handled professionally through the proper channels and protocols for any complaint of this nature,” Keefe mentioned within the assertion.
The grievance mentioned Keefe — who grew to become appearing mayor in April and is now operating towards three others to serve within the place for a full time period — arrived on the Department of Public Works with “administrative assistants to speak with the employees over issues within the department.”
The assembly, which consisted of union and non-union staff, occurred days after Local 880 introduced its assist of Councilor-at-Large Daniel Rizzo’s mayoral bid.
A union member advised Keefe about staffing points the division was dealing with and the challenges the bargaining unit was experiencing in consequence, based on the grievance.
Keefe allegedly responded to the member with “something to the effect of, ‘if you did not endorse the person who stopped me from hiring guys, we would not have this problem,’” the grievance mentioned.
“After this comment was made, the bargaining unit began to feel uncomfortable by Mr. Keefe’s demeanor and tone,” the grievance mentioned. “As Mr. Keefe proceeded to leave the DPW, he stated something to the effect of, ‘I will burn every last one of you that did not vote for me if I get elected,’” the grievance mentioned.
The union mentioned within the grievance that their resolution to endorse a politician “constitutes concerted, protected activity.”
“The acting mayor’s threats against the local for endorsing his opponent are a clear violation of the law,” the union wrote within the grievance, which was signed by AFSCME Council 93 Associate General Counsel Justin Murphy and Revere Human Resources Director Lina Tramelli.
A spokesman for the union declined to touch upon the pending grievance however confirmed its authenticity.
In an interview with the Herald on Wednesday, Keefe mentioned the statements outlined within the grievance have been “not accurate.” He mentioned the assembly with the DPW was arrange weeks upfront as a part of an try and have workers conferences with completely different departments.
“I want to make sure that this follows standard union protocols and standard HR protocols, that any complaint, whatever it may be, just be handled in a professional manner,” he mentioned. “The comments and the accusations are extremely misleading.”
Frustrations aired on the assembly stemmed from worries that open positions inside Revere’s Department of Public Works would stay unfilled for months, from April when Keefe took over from Arrigo to January when a brand new mayor takes workplace.
Part of the hang-up was a debate over whether or not Keefe had the authority to rent for open positions as appearing mayor. It led to an out of doors authorized agency being introduced in to weigh in on the matter, which mentioned Keefe might rent for open positions however not make division head or senior-level appointments.
Keefe mentioned 4 individuals have been onboarded for positions on the Department of Public Works since he took over.
Keefe mentioned the town’s labor legal professional is concerned within the state of affairs.
“If you look back … I can only guess that there’s going to have been dozens and dozens of DLR filings in the city over the years. And I could say that most cities have a lot of DLR filings, they happen all the time. And so that this is even being highlighted is pretty questionable and unusual,” Keefe mentioned.
A spokesperson for the Department of Labor, which can resolve if the grievance strikes ahead to a proper listening to or is dismissed, declined to remark, citing an ongoing investigation.
An affidavit included within the grievance signed on July 26 by a craftsman within the Department of Public Works mentioned Keefe held the assembly on July 25 to debate “issues within the department.”
“However, this meeting quickly turned into a discussion about political affiliations,” the affidavit mentioned. “During this meeting, Mr. Keefe started to yell and swear, stating that he was ‘Patrick Keefe’ while hitting his chest.”
The identify of the one that signed the affidavit was redacted, however the particular person was recognized because the assistant coach for the Revere High School ladies’ basketball group.
The particular person mentioned on the finish of the assembly, Keefe allegedly pointed at them and mentioned “thanks a lot, coach,” based on the affidavit.
“After Mr. Keefe stated this, I went to speak with him outside,” the particular person wrote within the affidavit. “I was very upset with how he called me out in front of the bargaining unit, and in response he stated, ‘I will burn every last one of you that did not vote for me if I get elected.”
The particular person within the affidavit mentioned they “took this statement as a threat, and I am afraid my career with the city is in jeopardy.”
Keefe mentioned there have been many individuals on the assembly and a few remarks have been taken out of context.
“I think that they’re being inaccurate,” he mentioned within the interview.
Source: www.bostonherald.com”