STAPLES IS READY TO ROCK UNION WORKERS AGREE TO KEEP PEACE DURING CONVENTION.

Byline: Rick Orlov Staff Writer

With an agreement guaranteeing labor peace inside next week's Democratic National Convention, organizers Monday seemingly had a united message: Let the hype begin.

``This will be the greatest convention of this century and last century,'' declared Terry McAuliffe, chairman of the convention committee. ``It is being held in the greatest state, in the greatest city, in the greatest arena. This will be the convention that people remember.''

Even Gov. Gray Davis, not known for overenthusiasm, got caught up in McAuliffe's spirit after witnessing some three dozen volunteers handpainting signs for Vice President Al Gore.

``This will be the best Democratic convention we have ever seen, and it will be far different than what the Republicans did in Philadelphia,'' Davis said. ``The nation will see the real Al Gore and see us talk about real issues of importance to the American family.''

Also on Monday, Los Angeles police arrested four people from the Ruckus Society who were attempting to hang a banner from the Figueroa Hotel, which directly faces Staples Center.

Witnesses said the banner was a depiction of the American flag with corporate logos across it. The banner was to have covered an Apple Computer mural with the theme of ``Think Different'' and images of the late President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, Eleanor Roosevelt, Sen. Robert F. Kennedy and labor leader Cesar Chavez.

Earlier in the day, Staples Center President Tim Liewecke signed a labor peace agreement with Miguel Contreras, secretary-treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, and representatives of a dozen unions that have workers at the facility.

``When we came up with the concept of Staples Center, it was always with the idea of working with the unions,'' Liewecke said. ``We did this not to win the Democratic convention, but as a goal toward helping working people.''

From the union's standpoint, Contreras said it sent an important message to union workers in the city as well as to the Democratic Party nationally even though the agreement affects a maximum of about 3,000 workers.

``This will guarantee labor peace inside Staples Center and the Convention Center, where all the workers will be union workers,'' Contreras said.

At the same time, however, he said it would not stop local unions from protesting - such as at the Loew's Santa Monica Beach Hotel, which will be the home of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and where, coincidentally, union organizers feel their efforts have been blocked.

Also, while national labor leaders have pledged to not have any massive disruptions of the convention, Contreras said he believed many would come out and join various protests.

``One-third of the delegates are from labor, and I'm sure they want to show their support to co-workers,'' Contreras said.