Squabble between city, police union stalls test

08/21/2006

William Kaempffer , Register Staff

NEW HAVEN — A promotional test for police lieutenant has been indefinitely postponed after the city and police union reached a stalemate on how the exam would be scored. A planned test for sergeant, however, will proceed as scheduled next month.

The roadblock, the union and city agree, is how the written and oral sections will be weighed in the lieutenant’s test

But that’s where the agreement ends.

The city administration wants the oral section to be worth 65 percent, compared to 35 percent for the written, and wouldn’t budge during talks with the union.

For the first time, the city is using an assessment center format for the oral portion of the exam instead of the traditional oral panel.

"We feel a assessment center would give us a much better measurement as a future predictor of performance," said city Chief Administrative Officer John Buturla.

The percentiles are based on recommendations by the testing firm CWH Management Solutions, "and we’re certainly committed to try to see that through," Buturla said.

The city’s dug-in position didn’t sit well with the union officials who perceive the city as trying to dictate terms instead of negotiate.

"When you give us an ultimatum, you’re not negotiating or bargaining," police union president Sgt. Louis Cavaliere said.

"When you dictate to me that it’s this or nothing, that’s not bargaining. That’s demanding."

Buturla said the test was postponed because civil service regulations require certain notice to candidates about tests and Monday was the deadline to have the test as scheduled.

Assessment centers are more in-depth than their traditional oral counterparts, with role playing, in-basket simulations, oral resumes and presentations.

It’s the first time that formation has been used in the police department.

Because an assessment center would be unwieldy and more expensive for the larger pool of candidates in the sergeant’s exam, the test will be the traditional form with a three-person panel interviewing candidates.

The exam will be weighed 50 percent to 50 percent, which was also the unions position for the lieutenant’s test.

In the past, police exams have had been weighed 60 percent for the written.

The situation has some members of the rank-and-file unhappy.

Some prospective lieutenants opposed the assessment center, arguing that sergeants in patrol or the detective bureau who routinely give roll calls and mediate disputes would have an unfair advantage over a sergeant assigned to, say, the records division.

When the test was canceled, other supervisors upbraided the union for making decisions without consulting the officers that would be affected.

Cavaliere said the union’s obligation is to the entire body, not just the 40-something sergeants planning to take this test.

Decisions now could impact future exams as well.

"There’s a no win for us, but we have to do what’s right for the bargaining unit," he said.

Others supervisors expressed distrust of the city’s motives.

The changes came after state court judges concluded the city misapplied civil service rules in illegally increase discretion on who gets promotions.

"The city has something up its sleeve," said one sergeant.

A message left for Chris W. Hornick, the president of Colorado-based CWH Management Solutions, was not returned.

In 2004, Hornick was in New Haven to testify at hearings on whether to throw out two fire department exams that the city administration contended would have had a disparate impact on minorities because few scored high enough to advance.