Texas City FD sues city for refusing grievances

By John Suayan, Galveston Bureau in The Southeast Texas Record
The Texas City Firefighters Association alleges city leaders have refused to arbitrate three separate grievances, recent court documents say. In a lawsuit filed May 4 in Galveston County District Court, the association says the city of Texas City violated an article in its collective bargaining agreement with the firefighters, as well as state law, when it denied requests for arbitration.

Court papers say that the plaintiff originally addressed a firefighter’s medical examination, the hotly contested appointment of an assistant fire chief and the lack of representation for three captains under investigation.

Grievances for each of the matters were denied, so arbitration was presented only to be shot down, the original complaint states.

The association insists it “has no plain, adequate, and complete remedy at law to redress the wrongs alleged, and this action for declaratory and injunctive relief is the only means of securing relief.”

Attorneys B. Craig Deats and Greg R. Johnson of San Antonio are representing the plaintiff. The case has been assigned to Galveston County 122nd District Court Judge John Ellisor.