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ARTICLE 18 - 1'ACANCIES AND PROMOTIONS As noted by the County Administrator. there are now three sections at issue including Article 18.03. Article 18.08. and Article 18.09. 11 is important to note that it is the County Administrator that is proposing all the changes even though in May 2012, the County Administrator recommended to the County Commission those very articles he is now attempting to change. First, the parties just agreed that Article 18.02 (new Article 18.03) should require the Promotion Board to rank the candidates and forward the top three candidates. Despite just agreeing to that, in recent special mid-term contract negotiations, the County Administrator is now proposing that the Promotion Board not rank three but rank the entire list. Obviously, after just agreeing to the role of the Promotion Board, the County Administrator is attempting to demean that role. Second, in May 2012, the County Administrator agreed to the existing language regarding the requirement that employees be selected from the promotional list, but just months later in negotiations, the County Administrator (then and now) is proposing to allow the Director to "appoint" employees not on the promotional list. Quite frankly, that is outrageous. The County Administrator is proposing to allow the Director to appoint to promotional positions persons who are not eligible for taking the test, who are eligible but did not take the test, who took the test and failed, who had been recently disciplined, and even "hire an individual outside" the County. The County Administrator attempts to justify his sudden and unexplained change in positions by complaining that "employees have stopped sitting for exams." However, there are reasons why employees are reluctant to sit for promotional exams including the fact that there is no leadership program; persons are reluctant to take command in light of horrific conditions in stations; persons are reluctant to take command based on decrepit vehicles which have actually broken down on calls; low pay upon promotion; the requirement to enforce general orders such as a recent general order which may interfere with firefighters getting adequate rest. Instead of addressing the foregoing, the County Administrator's answer is to promote persons not eligible, persons who failed the test, and persons who do not even care to take the test. In what it refers to as (newly numbered) Article 18.08 and (newly numbered) Article 18.09, the County Administrator is proposing to modify the point system and adopt a procedure which was recently rejected by the parties in negotiations, rejected by the County Administrator, and rejected by the County Commission. Local 2201respectfully requests that a motion be made to adopt the Union's proposal for Article 18 - Vacancies and Promotions which immediately follows on the next page. 98