BostonHerald.com
Friday, October 12, 2001

Massport marketing office gets reprieve
by Elisabeth J. Beardsley

Massport's axe fell on the jobs of 75 employees yesterday - but a group of
highly paid, politically wired officials secured a temporary layoff
reprieve.

The Massport board of directors had been poised to wipe out 100 jobs as part
of a $51 million package of spending cuts. Most of the layoffs are of
parking and ground transportation workers.

All 27 positions at the patronage-laden International Marketing Department,
which lobbies for overseas tourists, were marked for obliteration, which
would save $3.3 million.

But at an emergency board meeting, several members raised such a ruckus over
the proposed elimination that the full board moved the Nov. 1 pink slip date
back to Nov. 30.

Teamsters Local 25 boss George Cashman, an ally of former Gov. Paul
Cellucci, led the charge against all the layoffs, which he said fell heavily
on the ``little guys'' he represents.

Cashman also fought for the marketing department, saying workers shouldn't
be tossed out without a transition strategy or a plan for their duties to be
farmed out to other agencies.

``We're overreacting,'' Cashman said. ``I'm not interested in supporting Mr.
bin Laden by running around making quick cuts.''

Top Massport brass, while amenable to the 30-day delay, insisted the layoffs
are necessary to patch gaping budgetary holes. Business fell off sharply
after two planes were hijacked from Logan International Airport and used to
destroy the World Trade Center.

The budget crisis is so severe, the Massport board said it cannot pay $4
million in payments in lieu of taxes to Boston, and $500,000 to Chelsea this
year - news certain to draw howls of protest from those cities.

Massport Executive Director Virginia Buckingham, who so far has survived
calls for her ouster, said the layoffs are evenly split between
rank-and-file workers and high-level managers. In all, Massport plans to lay
off 180 employees, 15 percent of its workforce.

``I wish the war would end tomorrow and our fiscal situation would
evaporate,'' Buckingham said. ``But I'm afraid that's not going to be the
case.''

Citing legalities, Massport would not release names of those laid off. But
they include patronage hires like strategic planning director Emmanuel
``Gus'' Serra, a former state senator from East Boston.

Acting Gov. Jane Swift called the layoffs ``unfortunate but necessary,'' and
commended the board for obeying her order not to protect political
appointees - even those hired by her former boss, Cellucci.

``No one takes any pleasure in people having to lose their jobs,'' Swift
said.

Swift pointedly added that those laid off won't find new homes in state
government. ``We have fiscal issues that are facing us ourselves and so I
think it would be very difficult to find places for folks,'' she said.

Swift followed the layoffs with a support system for airline industry
employees. The toll-free hotline and East Boston office will provide
counseling and other services to Logan, Massport and airline employees,
aides said.

Amid the wrangle over layoffs, board chairman Mark Robinson stunned fellow
members by urging the board to fall on its sword and turn Logan over to a
``paid, professional'' group of experts in security, airline operations,
aviation and public finance.

Such a move would wipe out the entire existing cast, including Robinson, who
said that's fine by him.

``This is an event of unprecedented scale,'' Robinson said. ``We've got to
be prepared to change with the world.''

Board member John Cogliano Jr., co-founder of a personnel staffing company,
snapped, ``I personally take exception to that. I want to make it very clear
that I am a professional.''

Swift cautioned that broad reforms - including Robinson's proposal - should
be based solely on the recommendations of her six-member Massport task force
due to report back the first week of December.

Administration sources said the governor was ``pleasantly surprised'' by
Robinson's sudden move to force the board's elimination. Robinson, a former
cabinet secretary, appears to be reading the ``handwriting on the wall,''
they say.

On the security front, the board unanimously approved strict new rules
requested by state police Col. John DiFava, Logan's interim security
director.

Effective immediately, Massport will be able to levy maximum fines of $2,000
on airlines, up from $500. DiFava also received the power to boot businesses
that fail to meet security protocols off Logan's grounds, and to fine
airlines for security breaches.

David R. Guarino contributed to this report.
Copyright by the Boston Herald and Herald Interactive Advertising Systems,
Inc.
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