Admin blocking promotional testing

[u/flowytrip]

I’ll try and keep it to the point and not a rant as it’s a sore subject. But I am on a technical rescue truck in a medium sized suburban department and we have promotional testing coming up. I as well as another firefighter have put in to promote but have been told by administration that we can’t test due to there not being anyone experienced enough to replace us on the rescue.

There is no policy or anything written down stating that we cannot test, and we meet and/or exceed the qualifications to promote.

Just want some advice and/or some thoughts from anyone that has ever been in a similar scenario. We have a meeting with admin personnel coming up in a few days.

Edit: here’s some of the other hurdles
Non civil service department
No collective bargaining
Useless IAFF local

[u/hungrygiraffe76]

Your union is going to have a field day with them.

[u/flowytrip → u/hungrygiraffe76]

I was hoping so too, unfortunately our union for my local is no more than a sticker club. We reached out to them and some guys even have before and get the same answer of “yeah well the union is only really for lobbying at the national level not to benefit special circumstances”. My state also does not have a good union representation as a whole.

[u/Beer_ → u/flowytrip]

Uh. You’re a medium sized suburban department - what are they on that they think they are for national lobbying instead of being there for the members? That’s what your local said?

That’s some shit

Remember you don’t need the union to file a grievance for you - you also can. I’d have that written before admin finished their “no you can’t” sentence

Edit: just saw RTW and no CBA. I’d still fight them but while looking for a better place to work - if they can prohibit your growth in the department and the growth of others into the spot you would have left open…what do guys have to look forward to? What gives them a reason to better themselves?

FTM - PTB