BOSTON -- For the first time since Boston Mayor Tom Menino took office nearly two decades ago, he was noticeably absent from the annual Labor Day breakfast.

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No Invite For Mayor

NewsCenter 5's Jim Boyd reported that the Greater Boston Labor specifically did not invite the mayor. Some unions stayed away in support of Menino, but the word from those at the annual gathering, it was no place for the mayor.

Nearly 500 union loyalists were sampling the bacon and eggs, juice and coffee Friday morning at the Boston Park Plaza, garnished with pro-labor rhetoric and a traditional side order of democratic politics.

"A few months ago, on the floor of the House, we successfully stopped, with the help of a few people from the other side, a bill that would take away the right to overtime from millions of Americans," Rep. Michael Capuano said.

"The janitors battle is our battle, and the police battle is our battle, and the firefighters, and if we don't hang together, we will hang separately," Sen. Steven Tolman said.

But when the applause subsided, a quick glance through the crowed and at the head table indicated the absence of Menino, a fixture at these gatherings in years the past.

"There are people out there that think public employees are second class citizens," Greater Boston Labor Council spokesman Tony Romano said.

The Greater Boston Labor Council -- angered that 32 city unions are currently without contract -- did not invite Menino, a measure strongly urged by the Boston Police Patrolmen's Association.

"The unions want an constructive labor management dialogue in the city of Boston, and if there is going to be no labor management dialogue, we're not going to invite you to our table," Patrolmen's Association spokesman Thomas Nee said.

"This is Labor Day. It's not Menino Day, and that's what amazes me. This is a labor function," Electrical Workers Union spokesman Myles Calvey said.

But not all labor organizations agreed with the Menino snub. Several unions boycotted the breakfast to show solidarity with the mayor, and he in turn showed his appreciation for labor by hanging giant banners in the front and rear of city hall.