TALLAHASSEE - Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas' tough stand against free-trade opponents has angered two influential groups critical to his U.S. Senate campaign.
Organized labor and senior citizens hold Penelas responsible for what they say was abusive police treatment of protesters at last month's free trade conference in Miami. The rising anger among free-trade critics is an ominous sign for Penelas, who kicked off his campaign Monday with visits to a job-training center and Florida State University.
Penelas defended the police, saying: "They have rights, too."
"I stand by the concerted effort of our 40 police agencies in Miami-Dade County, who, by the way, happen to be members of unions, too," he said. "I stand by the fine men and women who were out there, getting spit at, people throwing rocks at them, paint at them, bags full of manure. I stand by those folks."
Two weeks ago, thousands of union members, retirees, farm workers and their allies converged on Miami to oppose formation of the world's largest free trade area. They contended the Free Trade Agreement of the Americas would endanger workers and consumers by siphoning American jobs to Third World nations with lax safety and environmental regulations.
Police used tear gas, pepper spray and rubber bullets to subdue protesters. While some violent clashes occurred, most demonstrators were peaceful and Penelas declared the hemispheric summit a success.
Penelas' message is not likely to get a warm reception this weekend, when 3,000 Florida Democrats, many of them retirees or tied to labor unions, attend the party's state convention at Walt Disney World. Delegates will hear from Penelas and his two rivals, former state education commissioner Betty Castor of Tampa and U.S. Rep. Peter Deutsch of Fort Lauderdale.
In separate interviews, leaders of the Florida AFL-CIO, the Florida chapter of the Alliance for Retired Americans and the Service Employees International Union local in Miami faulted Penelas for siding with police over rank-and-file union members.
"That's the nail in his coffin, politically speaking," said Tony Fransetta, president of the 125,000-member Alliance for Retired Americans group. "He has just lost the election."
Fransetta said 13 busloads of retirees were blocked from attending a rally, even though their participation had been cleared in advance by police.
Monica Russo, president of SEUI Local 1199, said she came face-to-face with three officers dressed in riot gear who confronted her as she walked to an anti-free trade rally.
"It was such geeked-up macho aggression, and for no reason," Russo said. "I don't think the argument can be made that these were purely defensive tactics."
Russo said her union and Penelas have had a good relationship in the past.
She said labor leaders are still waiting for a response from Penelas to their request that the behavior of police be reviewed.
Officers from about 40 agencies patrolled Miami streets during the weeklong conference. Only the Miami-Dade police are under Penelas' supervision, but as mayor of the county he is the region's most visible political figure.
"It was like an armed camp. It was ridiculous, because there really wasn't any trouble," said Florida AFL-CIO president Cindy Hall. When union leaders sought Penelas' help, she said, "Alex wouldn't help."
Penelas also is seeking to walk a fine line between supporting Miami as the permanent home of the FTAA while not offending labor. He noted former President Clinton supported the trade zone, but that hasn't mollified union leaders.
"I don't think labor, in general, feels a great deal of loyalty to Alex Penelas at this point," said Dan Reynolds, president of the Broward County AFL-CIO.
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