Kerry Refuses to Cross Pickets, Cancels Speech

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. John F. Kerry of Massachusetts on Sunday canceled plans to address a U.S. mayors conference today at a hotel that is likely to be ringed by picketing police officers.

“Sen. Kerry will not cross the picket line and therefore will not address the U.S. Conference of Mayors,” said Kerry spokesman David Wade.

Asked if Kerry and the mayors would meet somewhere that police were not picketing, Wade said: “We don’t have any information on that yet.”

Kerry had been scheduled to speak this morning at the Sheraton Boston Hotel, where police officers -- who have been working without a contract for two years -- had a picket line. Kerry could have upset unions across the country if he hadn’t shown support for the police union.

“John Kerry has never crossed picket lines in his time in public life,” Wade said.

The Boston Police Patrolmen’s Assn. is asking for a raise of about 17% over four years, while Boston’s Democratic mayor, Thomas Menino, the host of the conference, has offered 11.9%.

Several weeks ago, picketing police officers, firefighters and emergency medical technicians delayed the start of work to turn the city’s sports arena into a political hall for the Democratic National Convention at the end of July.