Where I work we are unionized. Jobs are based off of seniority. Kind of strange but that's just how it works. You do your time and the older you get the better job opportunities you have. I applied for a position on a Medicine unit. I thought for sure I would get called because I have 8 years seniority. Well today I checked successful applicants and that job is filled with someone with less seniority than me. Technically you can grieve that...but I don't want to start out on a bad foot with the manager. It's just frustrating! - end rant. Lol.

Where I work we are unionized. Jobs are based off of seniority. Kind of strange but that's just how it works. You do your time and the older you get the better job opportunities you have. I applied for a position on a Medicine unit. I thought for sure I would get called because I have 8 years seniority. Well today I checked successful applicants and that job is filled with someone with less seniority than me. Technically you can grieve that...but I don't want to start out on a bad foot with the manager. It's just frustrating! - end rant. Lol.

Grieve it

I would ask for a reason. Might make you a better applicant next time around, or at least, let your manager know it didn't go unnoticed.

Departmental budget?

If You ask the union to look into it then when you have confirmation you can decide whether to file a first step grievance.There might be other factors,such as qualifications etc.

Good luck

That could be, maybe this person was already working relief shifts or in a temp position and would not need any orientation..

Make sure you really understand the nuances of your contract. I'm not saying that management didn't pull a fast one here, but there might be more going on. I also work at a unionized hospital, and seniority plays a role in filling positions, but it's not the only factor.

A colleague applied for a day position on a medicine unit. She had been working days in the float pool, went to the floor frequently, and wanted to make that her home floor. The position was filled with a much newer nurse from night shift. Per the contract, the night nurse who was already employed on the unit had preference over the float pool nurse with more seniority and experience.

You don't have to make waves, but it might not hurt to talk to one of your union representatives to figure out if proper protocol was followed.