About a dozen police officers will protest Mayor Bill de Blasio in Iowa on Tuesday as he attends the 5th Annual Progress Iowa Holiday Party.
The members of the New York City Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association, the police’s union, plan to stand outside the swing state’s venue to protest de Blasio’s stance on labor. The story was first reported by The New York Times.
“Our members are making this trip to tell progressives in Iowa and across the country about the real Bill de Blasio. He says he’s a friend of working people, but when it comes to his own employees, he is anti-worker and anti-union,” NYCPBA President Patrick Lynch said in a statement. “If he is going to stand up before Iowa voters and union members and promise he’s a friend to labor, then he needs to earn it. That’s what we’re now starting, and what we’ll continue — whether it’s in New York, Iowa, or anywhere else — to get the word out about the real Bill de Blasio.”
The city and the PBA have continued negotiations since the last contract expired at the end of July.
“We’re more than fine with their protests and wish them safe travels,” said Austin Finan, a spokesman for the mayor’s office said in an email. “Those at the center of our successful efforts to reduce crime to historic lows deserve a fair contract. We’re confident mediation will get us there, just like it did last time and just like we’ve done with nearly the entire city workforce.”
