AFGE
Professional Local 3669AFGE Professional Local 3669
Constitution and Bylaws
Table of Contents:
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ARTICLE I - Name, Location & Headquarters
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ARTICLE II - Objectives & Methods
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ARTICLE III - Members, Dues & Expenses
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ARTICLE IV - Officers
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ARTICLE V - Election of Officers
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ARTICLE VI - Duties of Officers
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ARTICLE VII - Committees & Duties
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ARTICLE VIII - Meetings
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ARTICLE IX - Delegates
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ARTICLE X - Offenses, Trials, Penalties & Appeals
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ARTICLE XI - Amendments
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ARTICLE XII - Effective Date
PREAMBLE
For the purpose of promoting unity of action in all matters affecting the mutual interest of governmental civilian employees in general and for the improvement of the governmental service, we, as members of Professional Local 3669, American Federation of Government Employees, adopt this Constitution and it’s Bylaws.
Name, Local & Headquarters
Section 1. This organization shall be known as the Professional Local of Minneapolis Veterans Administration Medical Center, Local 3669, American Federation of Government Employees, AFL-CIO.
Section 2. The headquarters and mailing address of this local shall be: AFGE Professional Local 3669, One Veterans Drive, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55417.
Objectives & Methods
Section 1. The objective of this Federation shall be to promote the general welfare of civilian Professional Government employees.
Section 2. The American Federation of Government Employees does not advocate the overthrow of the constitutional form of government in the United States, does not discriminate with regard to the terms of conditions of membership because of race, creed, color, national origin, sex, age, political affiliation, marital status, sexual orientation, handicapped condition, religion, preferential or nonpreferential civil service status and is not subject to corrupt influences or influences opposed to basic democratic principles.
Section 3. In the event any member(s) of the Local is employed within a unit represented by an AFGE national bargaining council, the Local shall affiliate with the national council(s). See AFGE National Constitution, Article XVI. The Local shall pay dues and/or per capita to the national council for those members of the Local employed within the unit represented by the council, as may be prescribed by the constitution of the council.
Section 4. The Federation shall strive to promote efficiency in the governmental service, and shall advance plans of improvement to be secured by legislative enactment through cooperation with governmental officials and by other lawful means.
Section 5. This Local subscribes to the Standards of conduct for Labor Organizations as provided for in Chapter 71 of Title V of the U. S. Code and related amendments (Title V), which provided as follows:
(1) The maintenance of democratic procedures and practices including provisions for periodic elections to be conducted subject to recognized safeguards and provisions defining and securing the rights of individual members to participate in the affairs of the organization, to receive fair and equal treatment under the governing rules of the organization, and to receive fair process in disciplinary proceedings:
(2) The exclusion from office in the organization of persons affiliated with communist or other totalitarian movements and persons identified with corrupt influences:
(3) The prohibition of business or financial interests on the part of organization officers and agents which conflict with their duty to the organization and its members: and
(4) The maintenance of fiscal integrity in the conduct of the affairs of the organization, including provision for accounting and financial controls and regular financial reports or summaries to be made available to members.
Section 6. This Local will comply with the reporting requirement of Title V where applicable.
Membership, Dues & Expenses
Section 1. Civil employees in the actual service as Professionals, except physicians, at the Minneapolis Veterans Administration Medical Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota, shall be eligible for membership in this Local as provided for in Article III, Section 1 of the AFGE National Constitution. The Local shall have full power to elect or reject eligible applicants for membership. However, in any unit(s) which the Local has been accorded exclusive recognition rights, it will abide by the provisions of Title V. All membership applicants shall be voted on in regular local meetings.
Section 2. (a) The dues for each member shall be $12.00 Bi-weekly and will be increased automatically as voted by the national membership at the AFGE triennial convention or when determined necessary by a vote of the membership. Annual dues paid directly shall be $312.00.
(b) Members who are employed in a supervisory capacity must be direct pay members and pay $312.00 annually.
(c) The dues of retired members shall be $3.00 monthly, $18.00 semi-annually, and $36.00 annually.
(d) Dues must be paid in advance.
(e) Members may be dropped if dues are not paid by Tuesday of the last full workweek of the month, provided, however, that a reasonable amount of time after notice of delinquency is given.
(f) Local representatives, collectors, and area stewards shall make remittance of all dues and initiation fees collected to the Treasurer within 30 days and no later than the Wednesday of the last full work week of the month.
Section 3. The membership dues shall not be less than the minimum as set forth in the National Constitution and nothing shall prohibit this Local from charging higher dues if so indicated by existing conditions.
Section 4. All members will pay their dues by dues payroll deduction when available; with direct pay members paying anniversary date terminating April 1.
Section 5. All receipts, checks and cash disbursements shall be properly recorded and accounted for in the financial records of this Local. The Secretary or Treasurer shall sign and the President (any two of the three must sign) shall countersign checks covering proper expenditures for the Local. The officers, agents, area stewards, or other representatives of employees of this Local who handle funds or property thereof, shall be bonded in accordance with Section 7120 of Title V and regulations issued by the Assistant Secretary of Labor pursuant thereto.
Officers
Section 1. The elected officers of this Local shall consist of a President, who shall be a Registered Nurse, First Vice-President, Second Vice-President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Sergeant at Arms.
Section 2. The officers of Professional Local 3669 shall be elected for 3-year terms.
Section 3. The officers shall be elected by secret ballot and by a majority vote of all the valid ballots cast. All officers must be elected in accordance with election provisions of the AFGE National Constitution. All election protests must be filed in accordance with the provisions of the AFGE National Constitution.
Section 4. To be qualified as a candidate for Local Office, a member must meet the defined eligibility requirements.
Section 5. The membership shall elect an Election Committee to conduct the election. The Election Committee shall consist of not less than three members and if a larger committee is required, it shall contain an odd number of members. No member of the Committee may be an incumbent of or candidate for the office for which the election is being conducted. If a member is disqualified, a successor shall be elected from among those members of the Local who are not candidates for office. It shall be the responsibility of the Committee to conduct all aspects of the election, including printing the ballots, distributing the ballots, counting the ballots, and adjudicating all conflicts that may arise out of the election procedure.
ARTICLE V
Election of Officers
Section 1. The regular election of officers shall be held triennially on the second Wednesday in May at a regular meeting of the Local. The next election to be held in May, 2008.
(a) The officers shall be elected by ballot, and by a majority vote of members in good standing, present and voting. A quorum is not required for nominations and/or elections.
(b) Members unable to attend the election meeting shall upon written request be furnished ballots and properly marked envelopes in which to send their ballots to a post office box established for receipt of absentee ballots.
Section 2. An Election Committee shall be constituted to conduct each election. The Committee shall consist of not less than three members, and if a larger Committee is required, it shall contain an odd number of members. Its members shall be selected, and it shall meet a reasonable time before the commencement of the nomination procedure. The Election Committee shall present their recommendations to the membership for approval 30 days prior to the election. If no names are available at that time the committee can state names the day of the election.
Section 3. A notice of the nomination meeting and of the balloting shall be sent to all members at least 60 days in advance.
Section 4. The nominations shall be held at the regular membership meeting the month before the election. All candidates shall be limited to nomination to one office. Nominations may be made from the floor and nominations shall be closed before adjournment of the meeting. No write-ins will be counted after the close of nominations.
Section 5. Regardless of the method of election (at a regular meeting, by mail ballots, or by manual ballot), the Local will comply with all reasonable requests of any candidate to distribute by mail or otherwise at the candidate’s expense, campaign literature in aid of such person’s candidacy to all members in good standing and refrain from discrimination in favor of or against any candidate with respect to the availability of lists of members and whenever the Local or officers authorized the distribution by mail or otherwise to members of campaign literature on behalf of any candidate of the Local itself with reference to such election, similar distribution at the request of any bona fide candidate shall be made by the Local and its officers, with equal treatment as t the expense of such distribution. Adequate safeguards to insure a fair election shall be provided, each candidate shall be afforded an opportunity to have a reasonable number of observers who are members present throughout the election procedure, including the tally of ballots. Such observer must be a member in good standing in the Local.
In any election held by secret ballot, a reasonable opportunity shall be given for the nomination of candidates and every member in good standing and otherwise qualified shall be eligible to be a candidate and to hold office (with the exception of Professional members who are employed in a supervisory capacity) and shall have the right to vote for or otherwise support the candidate or candidates of his choice, without being subject to penalty, discipline, or improper interference or reprisal of any kind by the Local or any member thereof. Not less than 15 days prior to the election, notice thereof shall be mailed to each member at his last known address. Each member in good standing shall be entitled to one vote. No member whose dues have been withheld by the employer for payment to the Local pursuant to his voluntary authorization provided for in a collective bargaining agreement shall be declared ineligible to vote or be a candidate for office by reason of alleged delay or default in the payment of dues. The votes cast by the members of the Local shall be counted, and the results published separately. The elected officials designated in the Constitution and Bylaws or the Secretary, if no other official is designated, shall preserve for 1 year the ballots and all other records pertaining to the election. No monetary or other resources of AFGE or any employer shall be contributed or applied to promote the candidacy of any candidate in an election. Such monies may be utilized for notice, factual statements or issues not involving candidates, and other expenses necessary for the holding of an election.
Section 6. The duly elected officers shall hold office until their successors shall have been elected and duly installed.
Section 7. The installation of officers shall occur before the adjournment of the membership meeting following the balloting.
Section 8. In the case of a vacancy in the office of President, the First Vice-President shall fill the office for the unexpired term and a special election shall be held for office of First Vice-President. Interim vacancies in any other office shall be filled by special election after due notice to members at the first regular meeting following such notice.
Section 9. Any officer who moves beyond the jurisdiction of the Local during his term of office or who ceases to be a member in good standing shall thereby automatically forfeit said office. The vacancy caused thereby shall be filled under the provision of Section 8 of this article.
Duties of Officers
Section 1. The President shall be the executive officer of this local; he or she shall exercise general supervision over the affairs of the local and see that other officers comply with the responsibilities of their office and constitutional duties; comply with the National and standard local Constitutions; keep the membership apprised of the goals and objectives of the Federation; serve as an ex-officio member of all committees except the Election Committee and the Audit Committee, and investigation or trial committees when he or she is bringing the charges or is directly or indirectly involved in the matter which gave rise to the charges; automatically serve by virtue of office as a local delegate to district caucuses, council meetings, the National Convention, and such other meetings participated in by this local as the local may be entitled; preside at all local meetings; and sign all documents pertaining to the office. If the President is unable to perform his or her regular duties, either because of sickness, leave, TDY, or for some other legitimate reason, he or she shall delegate the responsibilities of that office to the officer designated in Section 2 of this Article.
Section 2. If the President is not present at a meeting the First-Vice-President will preside. In the absence of the First Vice-President, the Second Vice-President will preside. If the President is unable to perform his/her regular duties, either because of sickness, leave or some other legitimate reason, he/she shall delegate his /her responsibilities to the First Vice-President.
Section 3. The duties of the Secretary shall be to keep a complete record of the minutes of all meetings; maintain all election related documents (including copies of those pertaining to nominations, notices of meetings, and the minutes of any meetings, all of which must be sealed and preserved for one year after the election), see AFGE National Constitution, Appendix A, Part I, Section 5(j); keep up-to-date the official copy of the bylaws of the local; conduct correspondence when directed by the President; and send out notices of meetings when required
Section 4. The duties of the Treasurer shall be to maintain a bookkeeping system as prescribed by the National Secretary-Treasurer; make a financial report at each regular meeting; keep an up-to-date roll of the members; receive all monies and/or dues paid into the local and receipt thereof; keep records of all transactions; deposit money in the bank to the credit of the local; make regular monthly reports to the NST, which includes furnishing names and addresses of all new members or members who have severed their affiliations with the local and furnishing notification of changes in members' addresses; forward initiation fees and per capita tax to the National Headquarters in accordance with the requirements of the AFGE National Constitution (for regular locals per capita tax is payable before the end of each month, and all monies owed the Federation must be forwarded to the NST not later than the 20th day of the following month; and perform additional duties and responsibilities as outlined in the AFGE Financial Officers Manual. Disbursements for payment of current bills (other than initiation fees, per capita tax, and approved budgeted expenditures) shall be approved by the local.
Section 5. The duties of the Sergeant-at-arms shall be to attend the outer door so that no one enters the meeting without proper authority; shall assist the presiding officer in the maintenance of order, welcome and introduce guests, see that each member’s presence is recorded in a log, ascertain that a quorum is present, and provide a roll to call should the recording of individual votes be necessary, and perform such duties as assigned.
Section 6. The Executive Committee upon recommendation of the President will appoint Chief Steward. The Chief Steward shall be responsible for over-all organization planning; the development of organizational material, the appointment of Stewards, to conduct organizational drives and other administrative duties as assigned by the President.
Section 7. The Second Vice-President shall be in charge of committees that have been appointed by the President.
Committees & Duties
Section 1. Only elected officers of this Local shall constitute the Executive Committee. They shall meet at the call of the President.
Section 2. It shall be the duty of the Executive Committee to devise and initiate such actions as may be necessary in the interim between Local meetings, not inconsistent with the objective of the Federation and subject to Local approval. Expenditures by the Executive Committee in excess of $500 per month must have prior approval by the Local membership. All expenditures authorized by the Executive Committee will be reported in writing at the next regular meeting of the local.
Section 3. In the case of a vacancy in any office of this Local, the Executive Committee may appoint a temporary officer to fill such vacancies until a duly qualified successor is elected in accordance with the provisions of Article V., Section 8.
Section 4. Special Committees may be established as the Local may direct and the membership of such committees with the exception of the Election Committee shall be appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Executive Committee. Standing Committees shall be audit, legislative, membership, grievance, union/management, and fund raising.
Meetings
Section 1. Regular meeting of the Local shall be held once a month at a time and place selected by the local. If such a date should be a holiday, the meeting may be held on such a date as determined by the membership or the Executive Board.
Section 2. Special meetings may be called at any time by the President upon approval of the Executive Board, or upon written petition of at least 10 percent of the membership. A 5-day written notice of the specific purpose of the meeting must be given to the membership. No business other then that specified in the notice will be discussed.
Section 3. Only members of the Local in good standing shall be allowed to vote.
Delegates
Section 1. Such delegates and alternates to the National Convention, District Caucus, Council Meetings, or other meetings participated in by this Local, as the Local may be entitled, shall be elected at a meeting called for such a purpose by plurality vote by secret ballot of the members in good standing present and voting, providing proper notice of such election meeting has been given. The President, by virtue of his/her election to the office is automatically a delegate.
Section 2. To be qualified as a candidate for Local delegate one must be a member in good standing; be a member for one year of an AFGE local, immediately preceding the closing of the nomination process; not be a member in any labor organization not affiliated with the AFL-CIO.
ARTICLE X
Offenses, Trials, Penalties, & Appeals
Section 1. All offenses, trials, penalties, and appeals shall be accomplished in accordance with the AFGE National Constitution.
Section 2. The Constitution and Bylaws of AFGE Professional Local 3669 shall conform with Appendix B of the National Constitution of the American Federation of Government Employees which is defined as a standard local constitution.
Amendements
Section 1. With the exception of a change in dues, the Constitution and Bylaws of this Local shall be adopted and amended only after a one month notice to the Local's membership and by two-thirds vote of members, either present at a membership meeting and voting, with provision for absentee vote, or by mail ballot. Such bylaws do not require NEC approval.
Section 2. All amendments adopted by the Local that do not require NEC approval and all bylaw changes shall become effective immediately unless otherwise specified.
Section 3. A change of dues structure will be accomplished by majority vote by secret ballot of the members in good standing at a general or special membership meeting after reasonable notice of the intention to vote upon such question or by majority vote of the members in good standing voting in a membership referendum conducted by secret ballot.
Effective Date
This Constitution and any amendments thereto unless otherwise provided, shall become effective immediately upon adoption.
Section 1. Regular meetings of the Local will be held monthly on the second Wednesday, at twelve noon, in room 3C-106, unless otherwise specified, at the Veterans Administration Medical Center, in Minneapolis, Minnesota or at a time and place decided by the Executive Board.
Section 2. A quorum of this local shall consist of not less than five percent of the members or ten members whichever is the least. A quorum of any committee shall consist of a majority of the members thereof.
Section 3. All questions before the Local will be decided by vote of the members present first by voice vote, then showing of hands, and then roll call if requested by twenty-five percent of members present.
Section 4. “Robert’s Revised Rules of Order” shall govern the proceeding of all meetings of the Local, when not inconsistent with the provisions of the Constitution and Bylaws of the Local.
Section 5. The time allowed for debate of any particular issue before the Local and the time allowed for speeches will be governed by circumstances and by majority vote of those present. Any limitation as to time allowed for debate may be extended by a majority vote of those present and voting.
Section 6. Nomination of officers shall be held in April, elections in May and installation shall be held in June of every third year. The next election of officers will me in May 2005 and every third year thereafter. These functions may be combined if the Local so desires.
Section 7. All officers will be administered the “Officers Obligation” contained in the AFGE National Constitution upon their installation in office. The oath shall be administered either by the outgoing President, the National Vice-President or his designee.
Section 8. The Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of members as provided in Article XI, of the Local Constitution.
Section 9. In submitting a committee report, the chairman or other member presenting it shall provide a verbal report at the Local meeting or will furnish the Secretary with a coy of such report prior to the Local’s meeting and read at the Local’s meeting, setting forth the principle features thereof.
Section 10. All regular meetings of this Local shall be called to order at a time set by the body in open meeting and announced at the preceding meeting.
Section 11. Length of meetings:
(a) A privileged motion to adjourn will be in order after one hour.
(b) If motion under (a) is defeated, after additional one-half hour has passed, the meeting will be adjourned.
(c) The chairman may call a special meeting and announce it prior to adjournment, to commence 10 minutes after the regular meeting. There will be no time limit on this special meeting.
Section 12. Non-members or prospective members of Professional Local 3669 may attend one meeting of the Local at the invitation of a member in good standing.
Section 13. Copies of this Constitution and Bylaws shall be available to all members in good standing upon request to the Secretary.