Fed-up Flynn wants his photo taken down, Boston City Council prez says not on her watch

Boston City Councilor Ed Flynn is taking a colleague’s “unprecedented” move to squash his latest policy measure personally, by asking that his photo be removed from the City Council lobby, but the body’s president says it’s not going to happen.

Flynn wrote an email to City Council President Ruthzee Louijeune Thursday morning, requesting that his photo be removed from the Council lobby on the fifth floor of City Hall, where it appears alongside the 12 other councilors.

His request, which was rejected later in the day by Louijeune who cited the confusion it would create for “constituents, staff or the public,” was driven, per Flynn, by what occurred at the end of the Wednesday City Council meeting, when Councilor Sharon Durkan objected to a request from Flynn to add a late-file resolution to the agenda, thereby killing any discussion or action on the matter.

The blocked resolution, which Flynn shared on social media, is “in support of the International Longshoremen’s Association (ILA) in their labor dispute with the U.S. Maritime Alliance (USMX).” It includes emergency language, and references the Tuesday decision by the ILA dockworkers to “strike at 36 ports along the East Coast and the Gulf Coast.”

“It is wholly unconscionable to let procedural politics get in the way of our support for working families and collective bargaining,” Flynn wrote. “For my entire life, I have always known this body to stand for social and economic justice for working people. After yesterday, I can no longer say that.”

“Until the Boston City Council can demonstrate it supports dockworkers, a critical piece of our city, state and regional economy, I do not want my photo to be displayed next to my colleagues,” he added. “When they can demonstrate they are serious about standing by the people they represent, I will stand with my colleagues again.”

The Council president, in a statement to the Herald, said she turned down Flynn’s request because removing his photo would have been confusing to the public and staff.

“As president of the Boston City Council, I have no interest in confusing constituents, staff or the public as to who their government representatives are,” Louijeune said.

“Matters brought before any governing body can be at times contentious, but that by no means should detract from the responsibility of an elected official to perform their duties and uphold the integrity of the elected body,” Louijeune added.

In his email to Louijeune, Flynn, who was first elected to the body in 2017 and was the Council president last term, called Durkan’s move to block discussion on the resolution as “unprecedented during my time on the Council.” He also referenced a visit he and his father, former Mayor Ray Flynn, a past longshoreman, made to the dockworkers on Tuesday.

Related Articles

Politics |


Boston City Council urged not to be like San Francisco with housing policies

Politics |


Boston opioid overdose deaths drop after rising last year: ‘On the right track’

Politics |


Boston Mayor Wu fundraiser invite ‘mistake’ raises campaign finance law violation questions

Politics |


Boston looks to get in front of restaurateurs with 225 new liquor licenses: ‘Golden ticket’

Politics |


Councilor Flynn continues push for state intervention in BPS bus issues, says city leaders ‘continue to downplay it’

“Recently, Sharon Durkan filed an emergency hearing order supporting post office workers, which I supported,” Flynn told the Herald. “I filed an emergency resolution to support the Longshoremen’s union, and she blocked it. It was the first time I’ve ever seen anything blocked in support of organized labor. It’s never happened while I was on the City Council.”

Flynn, who is seen as an antagonist to Mayor Michelle Wu and considering a mayoral run in 2025, told the Herald he saw the move as one in a series of attempts by his colleagues to “intimidate” him during weekly meetings, saying that, “when I’m working on something important or major, my colleagues will block it for political reasons,” and to “protect Mayor Wu.”

Louijeune pointed to the Council rules, which she said allow for “any councilor to object to a matter that is brought before the body on the same day it was introduced, especially if the matter is a late file matter.”

“Councilor Flynn is familiar with this rule,” Louijeune said, “as it was invoked during his presidency on the Council as well.”

The Associated Press reported the two sides, the ILA and USMX, reached a tentative agreement Thursday to end a three-day strike.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.

Previous post Benefit trend: Employers opt to give workers an allowance for coverage
Next post Red Sox Report Card: Rafael Devers’ late struggles pulls down final grade