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Local firefighters tell Rowlett council management coerced captains, urge fair chief selection
Summary
Union leaders and firefighters told the council the interim city manager tried to coerce captains and shut out the department from the selection process; speakers urged the council to respect firefighters' choice of leadership and protect associational rights.
Michael Glenn, vice president of the IAFF 11th District, told the council the interim city manager "tried to coerce" fire captains into disclosing union information and warned that political activities of firefighters are protected under Texas law.
"He had a meeting with the captains, and by doing so, he tried to coerce them to give up information of things that were done within the union," Glenn said. He told the council it has the authority as the employer to hire and fire the city manager and should not allow management to "hide behind" the city manager for accountability.
Josh Brock, speaking for the Raleigh Firefighters Association Local 3358, said 100% of the department stood in solidarity and asked the council for "a seat at the table" in decisions affecting their leadership. "Management attempted to coerce our captains into disclosing confidential and protected association information," Brock said, calling the behavior "intimidation" and saying it created a hostile work environment.
Both speakers cited constitutional and court protections for associational activity by public employees. The council's subsequent public statement acknowledged the fire department's concerns and announced a consultant-led management review to refine the recruitment process for a permanent fire chief; the transcript records no formal adjudication of the specific coercion allegations in open session.
