Sox support weakens

Fenway labor support is more bark than bite. Plus, Mayor Menino opposes Cellucci's tax cut, and a new group forms to combat transit racism.

by Ben Geman

LABOR FAVORITE: Roache enjoys strong union support despite his opposition to a new Fenway Park.

At Monday's Annual Labor Day breakfast of the Greater Boston Labor Council at the Park Plaza Hotel, one of the most interesting statements was conveyed by hand-clapping. The loudest applause for any of the roughly half-dozen city councilors in attendance was for at-large councilor Francis "Mickey" Roache.

Why is that interesting? Well, Roache is a labor favorite, but he's also a staunch foe of the current plan for a new Fenway Park. The plan is supported by organized labor but faces serious trouble at City Hall. Mayor Tom Menino has found enough entrenched opposition on the city council to block approval of the $140 million in city borrowing that the $664 million plan requires for land acquisition and site preparation. Two-thirds of the 13-member council must approve the borrowing, and right now the votes aren't there.

The applause for Roache suggests that at this point, the political consequences of opposing the deal aren't too daunting, even for a councilor who depends on labor support and may run for mayor next year. "I thought I would be hearing some concerns about my position on the Fenway and I did not hear [any] at all," Roache said as the breakfast wound down.

Indeed, the relative lack of discussion about the plan at Monday's meeting is the latest in a series of indicators that the air may be going out of the Fenway Park deal. Last month, key Red Sox consultants John Sasso and Robert Walsh bowed out, and Red Sox CEO John Harrington has publicly expressed concern about the Sox' ability to come up with the $352 million in private financing that the plan requires. Although Menino mentioned the plan's job-creation merits in his address, it was obvious that other concerns took higher priority for some in the banquet room. Many wore buttons supporting the Boston Teachers Union, which is locked in a bitter contract battle with the Menino administration. Edward Burke, the labor council's president, didn't mention the Red Sox plan in his remarks. Literature and banners for a variety of issues were on display, but there were no pamphlets or discussion supporting the plan for a new Fenway Park (which would displace a number of Fenway-based businesses, including the Boston Phoenix).

Certainly the labor breakfast offers only a clue about what could be a long, complicated saga drawn out over several months. Building-trade unions do support the current deal -- the sheet-metal workers have even threatened to abandon Roache over his stance. Still, it may be that some union members who support a new stadium realize it's likely that a new Fenway Park will be built somewhere in the not-too-distant future. As a result, they may not view the existing Fenway deal as a make-or-break issue. In other words, labor wants this deal, but may not be willing to jeopardize its rapport with councilors over the current plan.

"It's an important project for us, but if it is not situated at that site, it's not the end of the world for us," says Christopher Shannon of the New England Council of Carpenters. "Because of the strength of the economy and the amount of work out there, it's not a killer if it does not happen at that location."

What's more, with several key city contracts outstanding, city unions have been pushing the other way too -- they want the mayor to focus on their contract needs before committing city money to John Harrington. In the meantime, a number of key city councilors -- who are proving surprisingly hostile to the deal -- continue to remind everyone of their opposition. Last week, Roache and Mike Ross, who represents the Fenway, introduced a resolution calling for a city inquiry into a Fenway-neighborhood parking freeze and noting the detrimental effects of increased traffic on public health -- a move plainly aimed at fomenting criticism of plans for a city-funded 3000-car garage to be built alongside the park.

Meanwhile, Maura Hennigan, another staunch opponent, says she still plans to call for a council vote on the needed financing -- a measure that could cement the council's opposition even if it leaves the mayor free to submit a stadium plan to councilors. Hennigan, it should be noted, has emerged as an unexpectedly ferocious opponent of the plan, joining the array of seemingly solid "no" votes that also includes Ross, Roache, Roxbury councilor Chuck Turner, and at-large councilor Peggy Davis-Mullen. Opposition from five of the 13 councilors can block city funding for the deal, and right now a group of seven that also includes Jim Kelly and Maureen Feeney opposes the plan. These councilors, it seems, are determined to kick the team when it's down, no doubt in hope of killing the plan and starting anew.

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