Penelas reaches out to labor unions (U.S. Senate)

[Judi Lynn]

Posted on Fri, Feb. 13, 2004

Penelas reaches out to labor unions

Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas, seeking a Democratic U.S. Senate nomination, meets with one of the chief critics of police behavior during the FTAA protests.

BY LESLEY CLARK

[e-mail]


Threatened with the loss of organized labor support in his U.S. Senate bid, Miami-Dade Mayor Alex Penelas appears to be trying to repair relations with the unions that took him to task over police tactics during the FTAA protests in downtown Miami.

Penelas will meet today with Fred Frost, president of the South Florida AFL-CIO and one of the leading critics of police performance during the November protests.

Several unions -- critical in a Democratic primary for endorsements, cash and votes -- have said they plan to hold Penelas accountable for what they consider police brutality.

''He's got to earn people's respect back,'' said Frost, who said he told Penelas at the Democratic state convention in December that he wanted to talk about his concern that police made it impossible for union members to protest.
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http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/state/7943088.htm