(This is one of a series of Software Engineering Maxims Which May or May Not Be True, developed over the last few years of working at Google. Your mileage may vary. Use only as directed. Past performance is not a predictor of future results. Etc.)
Managers and Tech Leads cannot depend on escalation. We sometimes believe that the layers of management above us exist in order to handle things which the lower layers are having trouble with. In reality, those upper layers have their own goals and priorities, and they generally do not include handling things bubbling up from below.
Do not rely on Deus Ex Magisterio from above, organizations do not work that way.