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Table of
Contents
Constitution
of the
Madison, Wisconsin Area
Local
of the
American Postal Workers
Union, AFL-CIO
MEMBERS BILL OF RIGHTS........... 1
ARTICLE I. Name........... 1
ARTICLE II. Objectives........... 1
ARTICLE III. Membership........... 2
ARTICLE IV.
Meetings........... 2
ARTICLE V. Officers........... 3
ARTICLE VI. Officer Powers,
Duties and Compensation........... 3
ARTICLE VII. Other Compensation........... 7
ARTICLE VIII. Term of
Offices...........
8
ARTICLE IX.
Stewards........... 8
ARTICLE X. Standing
Committees...........
9
ARTICLE XI. Duties of Committees........... 9
ARTICLE XII. Prohibition........... 10
ARTICLE XIII. Elections,
Nominations, Committees........... 10
ARTICLE XIV. Appeals System Within The
Local...........
12
ARTICLE XV.
Amendments........... 13
BY-LAWS OF THE LOCAL........... 13
BY-LAWS OF THE MADISON AREA LOCAL,
AMERICAN POSTAL WORKERS UNION, INC............
15
1. Every member has
the right to be respected as a human being.
2. Every
member has the right to be respected as a brother or sister of this Union.
3. Every
member has the right to freedom of speech and the right to be heard.
4.
Every member has the right to the freedom to listen.
5. Every member has
the right to the freedom of the press.
6.
Every member has the right to participate in the activities of this
Union.
7. Members shall not
be denied the right to seek any office or the right to vote in this Union
because of race, color, creed, sex, sexual orientation, nationality,
handicap, political affiliation, age, or religion.
8. Every member has the
right to support the candidate of his/her choice and to participate in that
right with others.
9. Every member has the
right to a fair trial, to be represented by an individual of his/her choice and
to proper appeal procedures.
10. Every member has the
right to be secure in his/her basic rights without fear of political, economic,
physical or psychological intimidation.
This body shall be known as the Madison, Wisconsin
Area Local, American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO.
Section
1. The objectives
of this organization shall be to unite all postal employees into one brotherhood
for their economic and social advancement. We recognize the affiliation with our
fellow workers, as exemplified by the American Federation of Labor - Congress of
Industrial Organizations, the Wisconsin Postal Workers Union, the South Central
Federation of Labor, and such other affiliation with legitimate labor groups as
may be desirable, shall be maintained.
Section
2. This organization
shall educate our membership in the history of the Labor Movement and develop
and maintain an intelligent and dignified membership to vote and work for the
election of candidates who favor the passage of improved legislation in the
interest of all labor; work for the repeal of laws which are unjust to labor and
to postal workers, such as the denial of the right to strike and the denial of
the right to support political candidates of our choice; and educate all members
in the area of economic, political and social justice.
Section
1. Any non-supervisory employee,
regardless of level or grade, within the jurisdictional claim of this Local is
eligible for membership. Those accepted for membership shall pay full per
capita tax to the National, plus whatever dues and assessments may be required
by this Local. A members good standing status shall not be affected by
reason of the fact that his paycheck for the payroll period in which his/her
dues deductions are made is insufficient to permit such dues deduction, by
reason of illness, injury, pregnancy leave, lay-off or disciplinary suspension.
Section
2. No person eligible under the
above provisions shall be denied membership because of race, color, creed, sex,
sexual orientation, nationality, handicap, political affiliation, age, or
religion.
Section
3. This Local shall have the
power to confer honorary membership in this union. Such members shall be
known as honorary members. No honorary member shall be eligible to hold
office or be seated as a delegate at a convention, nor shall he or she have the
right to vote.
Section
4. Application for membership must be
made in writing and signed by a general officer of the organization and the
applicant. Application shall be made on a standard application form or on a Form
1187.
Section
5. (a) RETENTION OF
MEMBERSHIP: This Local shall have the
right to allow members of this organization who have resigned from the Postal
Service, or who may have been promoted to positions exercising supervisory
authority, the right to maintain their membership without voice or
vote.
(b) Members of this Union who retire from the Postal
Service may maintain full membership with all rights of such membership by
continuing to pay full per capita taxes to the APWU, plus whatever dues and
assessments may be required by this Local.
(c) All retirees who do not desire to maintain full
membership shall pay the applicable per capita tax as contained in Article III,
Section 4(d) of the APWU National Constitution. Such retirees
shall have neither voice nor vote.
Section 1.
General membership
meetings shall be held each month, except the months of July, August and
December.
Section
2. Meetings of the Executive
Board shall be held each month.
Section
3. Special meetings may be
called by the President at his or her discretion, or upon the request to the
President of 10 per cent (10%) of active members in good standing. A
written notice of all such special meetings must be posted in the Main Office
and all units and branches twenty-four (24) or more hours before the opening of
the meeting. The notice shall contain the starting time and the place
selected for the meeting. Only such business as the special meeting is called to
consider shall be transacted.
Section
4. The attendance record of
members shall be closed forty-five (45) minutes after the designated time by the
Presidents official opening of the meeting.
Section
5. No member shall, without
authority, divulge to non-members any of the proceedings of this
Local.
The Officers of this Local
shall be: President; Vice-President; Secretary; Treasurer; Clerk Craft Director;
Maintenance Craft Director; and Motor Vehicle Craft Director. These officers
shall comprise the Executive Board of this Local.
The other Officers of this
Local shall be: Editor; Director of Organization; Safety and Health Director; Assistant Clerk Craft Director;
and three (3) Trustees.
The President,
Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer shall serve as Officers with the same
titles for the Madison Area Local, American Postal Workers Union, Inc. These
Officers shall also constitute the Board of Directors of that corporation.
Any Officer, Steward, or
any other member receiving compensation from this Local, who shall make
application or accept a supervisory position temporary or permanent, shall
immediately submit their resignation from office.
ARTICLE
VI.
Officer
Powers, Duties and Compensation
Section
1. PRESIDENT: It shall be the duty of the President to have
charge of the general welfare of the Local, and to promote its interest in such
ways which seem advisable to him/her, or as directed by the Local. He/she
shall preside at all meetings and shall have the authority therein as is
generally defined in Roberts Rules of Order. He/she shall appoint the
chair of all committees not specifically appointed by the constitution or on a
motion in the General membership meetings. He/she shall be responsible for
grievance appeals and instruction for the Area Local. He/she shall be a
member of all committees, except the nominations and election committees.
He/she shall fill, by appointment, all vacancies from any cause whatsoever.
He/she shall sign all orders drawn by the Treasurer and shall co-sign all
checks. He/she shall be responsible for all work of the Local and all
Officers of the Local shall work under his/her supervision. He/she shall
oversee the legislative program of the Local. He/she shall make a report
at the end of his/her term of office of his/her activities as President of this
Local. He/she shall be a delegate to the National and State Conventions of
this Union, the convention of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO and the South Central
Federation of Labor. The President, or his/her designee, shall be authorized to
attend the APWU President Conferences. The President is authorized to approve
expenditures of up to $500 per month between meetings. He/she shall submit
an article to the regularly scheduled Flash Report. He/she
shall be chair of the Negotiation Committee for the local contracts.
He/she shall serve as President and a member of the Board of Directors for the
Madison Area Local, American Postal Workers Union, Inc. The President shall be a
full-time officer of this Local with an annual - salary equal to the base pay
rate for PS top level, top step.
(a) A Web Master may be appointed by the
President. He/she shall have the responsibility of
maintaining the Union web site as directed by the President.
The Web Master shall receive $360 per year. LWOP, if
needed, shall be at the discretion of the President.
Section
2.
VICE-PRESIDENT: The
Vice-President shall perform the duties of the President in case of his/her
absence or inability to attend to the duties of office. In the event of
death, removal, or resignation of the President, the Vice-President shall
replace him or her until the next general election. He/she shall be
required to be knowledgeable of all the duties of the President. He/she
shall be a delegate to the National and State Conventions of this Union, the
conventions of the Wisconsin AFL-CIO and to the South Central Federation of
Labor. He/she shall have charge of all stewards and chief stewards of the
Madison Wisconsin Area Local, and shall oversee all steward activities of this
Local. He/she shall be responsible for, and knowledgeable of, all issues
in the Local Area Offices. He/she shall be the alternate steward in all areas
represented by this Local. He/she will maintain all necessary
files, documents and research material needed for proper preparation
of grievances. He/she shall submit an article to the regularly scheduled
Flash Report. He/she shall be a member of the Negotiation
Committee for the local contracts. He/she shall serve as Vice-President
and a member of the Board of Directors for the Madison Area Local, American
Postal Workers Union, Inc. The Vice-President shall receive
per year - salary equal to 300 hours of the basic pay rate for PS-10, top step;
300 hours of LWOP, with approval of the President, for duties of office, with
additional hours to be provided for conventions and seminars.
Section
3.Â
SECRETARY:
The Secretary shall keep an accurate record of the proceedings of all
regular and special meetings. The Secretary shall keep minutes of all
Executive Board meetings. He/she shall perform such other duties as the rules
and usage of this Local may require of him/her. He/she shall
maintain and keep current a membership file of the Local.
He/she shall maintain the DCO file and see that all data is current with
the membership file, and make any corrections that are applicable. He/she shall
submit an article to the regularly scheduled Flash Report.
He/she shall be an alternate delegate to the National and a delegate to the
State Conventions of this Union. He/she shall be a member of the Negotiation
Committee for the local contracts, and shall be responsible for keeping an
accurate record. He/she shall serve as Secretary and a member of the Board of
Directors for the Madison Area Local, American Postal Workers Union, Inc.
The Secretary shall receive per year - salary equal to 150 hours of the basic
pay rate for PS-10, top step; 288 hours of LWOP, with approval of the President,
for duties of office, with additional hours to be provided for conventions and
seminars.
Section
4.
TREASURER: The Treasurer shall be the
official custodian of all monies of this Local. He/she shall deposit all monies
received by this Local. He/she shall make a report each month
of all monies received and disbursed, and of the general financial state of the
Local. He/she shall keep proper books of account which, together with all
files and documents in his/her care, shall be open for inspection by the
Trustees and members of the Executive Board at all times. The
financial reports will also be available for inspection by any member following
the General membership meetings. The Treasurer shall be
authorized, with approval of the President, to pay any and all expenses that are
necessary for the normal day to day efficient running of this Local.
He/she shall also be authorized to pay National, State, Local and other
affiliation payments, all monies required by law, and necessary insurance
expenses of the Local. The Treasurer shall make no cash
disbursements without proper authorization. He/she shall be
responsible for all reports required by Federal or State Laws.
He/she shall make an annual report of all monies received and
expended. He/she shall be required at the end of his/her term
of office to account for and turn over to his/her successor or the Union all
money and documents in his/her control. He/she shall be
an alternate delegate to the National and a delegate to the State Conventions of
this Union. He/she shall serve as Treasurer and a member of
the Board of Directors for the Madison Area Local, American Postal Workers
Union, Inc. The Treasurer shall receive per year - salary
equal to 150 hours of the basic pay rate for PS-10, top step; 288 hours of LWOP,
with approval of the President for duties of office, with additional hours to be
provided for conventions and seminars.
Section 5.
(a) CRAFT DIRECTORS: The Craft Directors shall offer
advice and help to all stewards in their craft in the proper preparation of
grievances. Their duties shall include overseeing the
operations of their crafts, especially any and all mechanization, automation and
updating in their crafts, and any other duties the President may deem
necessary. They shall be alternate stewards for their
respective crafts. They shall assist, as needed, the
Vice-President in representing the Area Offices. They shall
be members of the Negotiation Committee for the local contracts.
They shall give a full report of the activities of their craft at the
monthly Executive Board and General membership meetings, and submit quarterly
reports to the Flash Report. Craft Directors shall be delegates to the
National and State Conventions of this Union. They shall receive per year -
salary equal to 35 hours of the basic pay rate for PS-10, top step; 96 hours of
LWOP, with approval of the President, for duties of office with additional hours
to be provided for conventions and seminars.
(b) The President may appoint an assistant to the Clerk
Craft Director from a list provided by the Clerk Craft Director. The assistant
to the Clerk Craft Director shall work under the direction of the Clerk Craft
Director. He/she shall be an alternate steward for the Clerk Craft and his/her
duties shall include assisting the Vice-President and Clerk Craft Director in
representing the Clerk Craft in the offices represented by the Local. He/she
shall attend all steward seminars and grievance handling classes as directed by
the President and General Membership meetings in order to receive compensation,
unless excused by the President. LWOP, if needed, shall be at the discretion of
the President. He/she shall receive per year salary equal to 28 hours of the
basic pay rate for PS-10, top step.
Section
6. TRUSTEES: The Board of Trustees shall have the
responsibility to see that all Officers perform their duties according to the
Constitution of this Local and the guidelines set forth by the Dept. of Labor as
regards to labor unions. They shall audit the books of the Treasurer during the
last two weeks of March and November and give a report of the audit together
with any recommendations they consider pertinent to the Local at the General
membership meetings. They shall be charged with the accounting of all
funds and properties of the Local. It shall be their duty to see that no
bills are paid without proper authorization. They shall keep a record of
all their official acts. They shall perform any other duties that may be
necessary as directed by the Executive Board. They shall present a report
of Legislative matters of concern to the Local at each General membership
meeting. They shall act as the Hearing Board for any charges brought
against members, officers or stewards. They will, from amongst themselves,
designate to the President who will act as the Chief Trustee, who shall chair
the Hearing Board and be responsible for establishing the timely audit of the
Locals financial records. In the event the Treasurer leaves office for any
reason, the Trustees shall take possession of and account for all manner of
Local property from the Treasurer until the Treasurer is replaced. They
shall be delegates to the State Convention of this Union. The
Trustees shall each receive per year salary equal to 28 hours of the basic pay
rate for PS-10, top step; 32 hours of LWOP, with approval of the President, for
duties of office, with additional hours for conventions and
seminars.
Section
7. (a)
EDITOR: The
Editor shall be responsible for the Publicity and Public Relations matters of
this Local and shall publish the Local Flash Report nine (9) times
per year. These Flash Reports shall be mailed at least one week prior to
the membership meeting of each month in which there is a General membership
meeting except for March, when they shall be mailed one week after close of the
February membership meeting and completion of the nominations.
Additional Flash Reports may be
published, as needed, at the discretion of the President. The
Editor may appoint an Associate Editor to assist in publication of the
Flash Report, subject to approval
of the President, and such appointment shall expire at the end of the Editors
term of office. He/she shall submit an article to the
regularly scheduled Flash Report. The Editor shall be a delegate
to the State Convention of this Union. The Editor shall
receive per year - salary equal to 60 hours of the basic pay rate for PS-10, top
step; 60 hours of LWOP, with approval of the President, for duties of office,
with additional hours for conventions and seminars.
(b) The Associate Editor shall receive $360 per
year.
Section
8.
DIRECTOR OF ORGANIZATION: He/she shall be responsible for
all organization as it relates to new hires and non-members of the Local, as
well as for any special or ongoing membership drives. The
Directors primary function will be to solicit new members into this
Local. He/she shall also serve as the Chair of the Membership
Committee. He/she shall attend new employee orientations whenever
possible, and will keep and maintain a current file of all
non-members. He/she shall be familiar with all APWU benefits
programs, including the APWU Health Plan and shall be responsible for
maintaining and disseminating current information on them.
He/she shall submit a quarterly report to the Flash
Report. He/she shall be a delegate to the State Convention of
this Union. He/she shall receive per year - salary equal to
28 hours of the basic pay rate for PS-10, top step; plus necessary LWOP for
duties of office, with approval of the President, with additional hours for
conventions and seminars.
Section
9. SAFETY
AND HEALTH DIRECTOR:
The Director is responsible for assisting members when they are injured
at work; this includes helping fill out the necessary forms, informing the
members of their rights and responsibilities, and in working with local
management and the Department of Labor Injury Compensation Office to see that
the claim is handled in a fair and professional manner. The
Director is also responsible for attending Safety and Health Committee meetings
and in assisting the President and other Officers in working with management to
provide our members with a safe and hazard-free place to work.
He/she shall make a report at each General membership meeting, and shall
submit a quarterly report to the Flash Report.
He/she shall be a delegate to the State Convention of this
Union. He/she shall receive per year - salary equal to 35
hours of the basic pay rate for PS-10, top step; 48 hours of LWOP, with approval
of the President for duties of office, with additional hours for conventions and
seminars.
Section
10. (a)
EXECUTIVE BOARD: The
Executive Board shall meet in executive session and have the authority to
conduct the business of the Local. Recommendations of the
Executive Board shall be acted upon at the next General membership meeting
during approval of the Executive Board minutes. It shall be
authorized to act on all financial matters which may arise between the General
membership meetings, which are of such nature that the decision cannot be
deferred until the next General membership meeting. A special
meeting will be called, if necessary, to act on any matter which cannot be
postponed. Any member of the Local may request the time of
any meetings, and may attend any meeting of the Board.
(b) In the event that the
Vice-President is not available to assume the duties of the President, the
Executive Board shall select by secret ballot, from members of the Executive
Board, a successor to assume the office of the President.
(c) The Executive Board shall have
the authority to act on any appeal(s), made to the Executive Board, regarding
failure to publish, or changes made to, any article submitted to the Flash
Report.
(d) The Executive Board shall
determine the date and time of the General membership meetings and inform the
membership of such date and time by means of the Flash Report,
postings, and/or other methods deemed appropriate.
Section
1. Officers of the
Local will be authorized to receive up to 3 hours of LWOP, with approval of the
President, to attend Executive Board and/or General membership meetings, and
receive the necessary recompense for said hours.
Section
2. Mileage for
Union Officials, on official Union business of this Local outside of the Madison
installation, will be compensated in accordance with IRS guidelines.
Members of the Local attending conventions, conferences, seminars or
meetings out of Madison shall have their compensation computed as
follows:
1.
Air Coach Fare, where time and distance make this mode practical, or
mileage for  use of their personal auto, as determined
by the President.
2.
Per Diem expenses shall be actual expenses per day, provided credible
receipts, when available, and expense log are furnished and approved by the
President.
3.
All registration fees and lodging expenses shall be paid.
4.
Any other expenses incurred outside of the above shall have to be
approved by the Executive Board.
Section
3. Any other
expenses incurred by an Officer or Steward in the performance of his/her duties,
with the proper documentation, shall be paid by this Local.
Section
4. Any member of
this Local who is compensated for LWOP, used for official union business, shall
be reimbursed for any lost sick leave and annual leave due to that
usage.
Section
5. The Chairs of
the Picnic Committee and Christmas Party Committee shall each receive the sum of
$50 for their duties out of their budgeted funds.
Section
6. A full-time
officer of this Local shall be entitled to the annual and sick leave that would
be accrued as a Postal employee. Leave cannot be carried over from year to
year of term. All unused time shall be paid at the end of each March at
the full-time officers Constitutional salary. The Local shall
pay that portion of the full-time officer's Postal benefits that the USPS would
pay based on the actual postal level and step, and benefit selections, of the
full-time officer. A full-time officers Union dues shall be
rebated by the Local. If a full-time officer is covered by the Civil Service
Retirement System, the Local shall pay the employee share of Social Security
(excluding Medicare.)
All Officers shall hold
office for a period of two years. All Officers, except Craft
Directors, shall be elected by the general membership. Craft
Directors shall be elected by members of the craft they represent.
Any Officer who is absent
from two (2) consecutive Executive Board or General membership meetings without
specific permission in advance from the President, or because of sudden illness,
shall be removed and his office shall be declared vacant by two-thirds (2/3)
vote at a General membership meeting.
In case any elected Officer
resigns or becomes unable to perform his duties, or is removed from office, his
office shall be declared vacant at the first General membership meeting
following such resignation or disability or removal and the vacancy shall be
filled by appointment by the President within thirty (30) days, and said
appointee shall serve until such vacancy is filled by the next regular
election. Letters of resignation shall be directed to the
Executive Board.
Every Area Office, outside
of the Madison installation, of six (6) or more members shall have an Area
Office Steward.
Additional alternate
stewards may be appointed and certified at the discretion of the
President.
Stewards shall be
responsible for the preparation of all Step 1 grievances of the membership they
are certified to represent. They shall have a thorough understanding of
the National and Local agreements in order to present the best case possible on
behalf of the member.
Stewards shall attend all
steward seminars and grievance-handling classes as directed by the President,
and General membership meetings in order to receive compensation, unless excused
by the President.
LWOP, if needed by
Stewards, shall be at the discretion of the President.
Stewards, excluding
alternates, shall be elected for a period of two (2) years, and shall receive,
per year - salary equal to 28 hours of the basic pay rate for PB-10, top step.
Steward salary is in addition to any officer salary.
There shall be standing
committees within this Local, to be known as the Sick and Welfare Committee,
Publicity and Public Relations Committee, Legislative Committee, Membership
Committee, Human Relations Committee, Safety and Health Committee, Budget
Committee, Grievance Committee, Negotiation Committee, Picnic Committee,
Christmas Party Committee and Constitution Committee. The Chairs of said
Committees, except where noted, shall serve at the discretion of the
President. The President shall appoint members of committees, except
where noted.
Section
1. The Sick and Welfare Committee
will make an offering of $100 to the family of a Local member who passes away
before retirement. In the event a member of a Local members immediate
family passes away, the Committee will make an offering of $25 to the
member. Such offerings shall be paid from the Local's treasury.
Reports of committee activities should be made at each monthly meeting of this
Local.
Section
2. The Publicity and Public
Relations Committee shall be chaired by the Editor of the Flash Report.
He/she shall see that the image of this Local is presented in a positive light
and shall promote all activities of this Local. Supplemental Flash Reports
shall be published at least two weeks prior the Annual Picnic and Christmas
Party informing the members of the event.
Section
3. The Legislative Committee
shall include the Trustees, and shall promote and direct the legislative
activities of the Local as formulated and approved by the
membership.
Section
4. The Membership Committee, chaired
by the Director of Organization, shall inform and educate all non-members of the
aims and objectives of our organization and solicit them for membership in this
Local.
Section
5. The Human Relations Committee
shall prepare and direct programs in the area of equal opportunity; civic
programs; community service programs; retirement programs, and all other related
programs and be responsive to the needs of the membership in all human relations
areas.
Section
6. The Safety and Health
Committee shall be chaired by the Safety and Health Director. The duties
of this Committee shall be to adjust all Safety and Health and OWCP problems any
member may have, and to work with local management to provide a safe and hazard
free workplace.
Section
7. The Budget Committee shall be
chaired by the Treasurer. This Committee shall convene to set up and
monitor a budget for this Local.
Section
8. The Grievance Committee shall
be chaired by the Vice-President. They shall investigate all grievances
which are presented to them. It shall further be their duty to adjust
grievances and make recommendations to the President.
Section
9. The Constitution Committee
shall address issues, problems or amendments of this
Constitution.
Section
10. The Negotiation Committee
shall be responsible for all of the Local Memorandums of Understanding between
this Local and the Post Offices it is verified to represent.
Section
11. The Picnic and Christmas
Party Committees shall be responsible for their respective events.
No
criticism, reflection, argument, or debate touching on any members race, color,
creed, sex, sexual orientation, nationality, handicap, political affiliation,
age, or religion shall be allowed at any meeting of this Local.
ARTICLE
XIII.
Elections, Nominations,
Committees
Section
1. The nominations for Officers,
Stewards, and delegates to State and National Conventions and Labor Councils
shall be held at the General membership meeting in February of each even
numbered year. In order to qualify as a candidate for any
position in this Local, the candidate must be an active member of the Local
prior to December 1 of the preceding year. Members may only
accept nomination for one office and, for craft officers and stewards, must be a
member of the tour, area or craft at the time of nomination.
Section
2. The nominations and elections of
Officers shall be accomplished by two separate committees; the Nominations
Committee and the Election Committee; and shall be accomplished as
follows:
(a) Nominations
Committee. The Executive Board shall
appoint, at least thirty (30) days priority to the February monthly meeting, a
nominating committee of at least two (2) persons. This
committee shall notify each member by the monthly newspaper that they may
nominate candidates for office at the date, time and place of the February
monthly meeting. They shall also notify each member of the
offices which are to be filled. In the event a member in good standing is unable
to attend the February meeting for a good cause, he/she may submit in writing
the name of the candidate or candidates he/she wishes to nominate to elected
office. If the nomination is submitted in writing, it must
also contain the signature(s) of assent of the individual(s) being
nominated. The Nomination Committee will determine if the
reason for written submission is for a good cause. The
Nominations Committee shall at the February monthly meeting accept all other
nominations for elective office. The Committee shall not
accept for nomination any person who has not either verbally at the February
meeting, or in writing, indicated his/her willingness to be
nominated. At the close of the nominations, the Committee
shall turn over to the Election Committee the complete list of all members
nominated for elective office.
(b) Election
Committee. The President shall, at the close
of the February monthly meeting, appoint at least five (5) persons to serve as
the Election Committee. The duties of the Election Committee
shall be as follows: the Committee shall prepare a printed
ballot listing all offices for which the election is to be held.
The Committee shall receive, at least twenty (20) days prior to the March
monthly meeting, a complete list of members eligible to vote from the Secretary,
along with the last known mailing address of each member. The
Committee shall obtain a Post Office box in Madison, Wisconsin, which shall be
the collection point for all ballots mailed. It shall not be
the same Post Office box as that of the Local. The Committee
shall cause to be mailed, by First Class Mail, to each member in good standing
at least fifteen (15) days prior to the March monthly meeting the ballot for the
election. This ballot envelope shall also contain a return
First Class Mail envelope in which to mail said ballot back to the Election
Committee. These ballots shall remain sealed until 8:00 a.m.
on the day prior to the regular March monthly meeting at which time the election
Committee shall begin counting ballots.
Each
candidate has the right to have an observer at the counting of the
ballots. The observer must be a member in good standing of
this Local. The election Committee shall, as the first order
of business at the March monthly meeting, announce the results of the
election. They shall then turn the ballots, envelopes and
tally sheets over to the Secretary who shall place them on file for at least one
year. The Election Committee members may not be candidates
for an elective office.
(c) Campaign
Rules. Each candidate has the right to
inspect a list containing the names of all members in good standing.
This right to inspect does not include the right to copy.
The right to inspect is limited to once within thirty (30) days prior to
the election. Any candidate may, at their own expense, have
their own election material mailed to members in good standing by the Election
Committee. The addressing and depositing in the mail of their
material shall be accomplished by the Election Committee. All
other expenses, including stationery, postage, etc. shall be borne by the
candidate. This opportunity may be utilized only once per
election and no mailing may take place during the last week before the March
General membership meeting. Neither the Local nor the
Election Committee shall bear any responsibility for content or timely
delivery.
Each
candidate may, if he/she desires, submit to the Editor of the Flash
Report an article of not more than
250 words promoting his/her candidacy. It shall be published
in the March Flash Report. No candidate
shall be allowed to use dues, assessments or other levies to promote his/her
candidacy. No member shall vote by proxy.
Section
3. The ballots shall bear the names of
all officially nominated candidates in the order of nominations made at the
February monthly meeting. Write-in votes shall not be valid,
counted or considered Any unopposed candidates duly nominated
in accordance with Section 2. (a) of this Article, shall be declared elected to
that office, and his/her name shall not appear on the ballot.
Section
4. Each active member, to be eligible to
vote, must have been a member in good standing prior to March 1 of the current
year.
Section
5. Officers and Stewards shall be
elected by referendum vote. All shall be elected by
plurality vote.
Section
6. Additional convention delegates
authorized by the General membership meeting and the delegates to the South
Central Federation of Labor shall be nominated and elected at the same time as
the election of Officers.
Section
7. The number of Stewards in our total
complement shall be in accordance with the National Agreement, Article 17, as
stated below:
Clerk
Craft: Main Office, Tour I, Tour II, Tour III;
Westside Station; Capitol Station and University Branch; Hilldale Station; Verona
and Middleton Branch; South Side Station; Beaver Dam Post Office; Beloit
Post Office; Janesville Post Office; Monroe Post Office; Platteville Post
Office; as provided in Article 17 of the National Agreement.
In the event that the compliment of any Associate Office of this Local
reaches or exceed 6 members, that office shall also have one
Steward. The Vice-President shall act as Alternate Steward
for all Associate Offices in which no volunteer alternate from that office can
be appointed.
Motor Vehicle
Craft: Drivers 1 Steward; Garage 1
Steward. The Craft Director for the Motor Vehicle Craft shall
be the Alternate Steward for the Craft.
Maintenance
Craft:Â Tour I - 1 Steward; Tour II - 1 Steward;
Tour III - 1 Steward. The Craft Director for the Maintenance
Craft shall be the Alternate Steward for the Maintenance Craft.
Any
other changes in steward representation, as determined by Article 17 of the
National Agreement will be applied.
Section
8. In case of a tie vote, the candidates
shall cast lots for the election (cut cards, high card wins, ace is
high.)
ARTICLE
XIV. Appeals
System Within The
Local
Section
1. The following are procedures that
shall apply in the case that charges are levied against Officers or against any
member:
(a) The charged
Officer or member shall have a right to present a defense at a hearing.
(b) The Trustees
shall act as the Hearing Committee, provided none are involved in any way with
the incident. If a Trustee is involved, the President shall appoint a
member to the Hearing Committee not involved in any way with the incident.
In the event the charges are levied against the President, the Executive Board
shall appoint any replacement.
(c) After reasonable
time to prepare a defense, maximum of thirty (30) days, a full and fair hearing
shall be conducted by the Hearing Committee.
(d) The Hearing
Committee shall report to the next meeting of the Local and that meeting shall
accept or reject the Committees decision.
(e) This decision may be appealed under the provisions
of Article15, Section 3, of the APWU National Constitution. Administrative
assistance or advice for this appeal shall be provided by the Local, if
requested by the appellant.
Section
2. Those protests on Local Elections
shall be handled in accordance with Article 12, Section 8, of the APWU National
Constitution.
This Constitution will
stand as the supreme authority of this Local. It shall be amended by the
following procedures:
1. An amendment may be
introduced and must be read at any General membership meeting.
2. The proposed
amendment shall be in writing and shall be presented to the Chair of the
meeting.
3. The amendment must
be approved by a majority vote to be considered.
4. The amendment shall
then be published in the next monthly edition of the Flash Report. Arguments for and against (one each) may also be
published with the amendment. Such arguments will be limited to not more
than 250 words. If more than one argument is submitted, the articles will
be referred to the Constitution Committee for determination of which two (2),
pro and con, will be published. The Constitutional Committee shall also
convene prior to the next General membership meeting to consider the amendment
and the Committee shall also present their report to the
membership.
5. The amendment shall
then be voted on at the next General membership meeting following
publication. A two-thirds (2/3) vote is required to sustain the
amendment.
6. The amendment will
become effective immediately following adjournment of the meeting; unless it is
for Officer compensation, then it will become effective the following April
1.
Article 1.
Order of
Business
Section 1.
1. Roll Call
of Officers.
2.
Announcement of the time and date of the next General membership
meeting.
3. Approval
of the Minutes of the last General membership meeting.
4. Approval
of the Minutes of the last Executive Board meeting.
5. Reading
of Communications.
6. Report of
the Treasurer.
7. Report of the
President.
8. Report of
Committees and Directors.
9.
Unfinished Business.
10. New
Business.
11. Good and
Welfare of the Local.
12.
Adjournment
.
Section
2.
The order of business
may be transposed at any time by a two-thirds (2/3) vote at the General
membership meeting.
Article II Rules of
Order
In the absence of other
authority, the deliberations of this Local shall be governed by Roberts Rules of
Order.
Article III
Quorum
Ten (10) active members
shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at a General
membership meeting and four (4) Executive Board officers shall constitute a
quorum for the transaction of business at an Executive Board meeting.
Article IV
Attendance
All Officers of this
Local shall be required to attend the monthly Executive Board meetings, and/or
the General membership meeting, unless excused by the President, or shall not
receive compensation for that month.
Article V
Dues
Section
1. Dues paid on a
monthly basis, shall be payable on the first of each month.
Section
2. The membership,
at a regular constituted meeting, shall have the power to levy
assessments.
Article VI
Reinstatement
Any member in
arrears three months in payment of his/her dues or assessments shall be
suspended from the membership rolls, and after four months shall be dropped from
membership unless by special action of the Local he/she is retained in
membership. The individual member will be advised of such action. Members
who are dropped shall pay the sum of $25.00, unless waived, upon their
reinstatement and they must sign a Dues Check Off Form
1187.
Article VII
Records
All records, files, etc., whether
hard copy or on electronic media, shall be maintained at the Union
Office.
Article VIII
Amendments
Amendments to these by-laws
may be made upon recommendation of the Executive Board and approval by 2/3 vote
at the next General membership meeting.
Article I
The offices of President, Vice-President,
Secretary, and Treasurer of the corporation shall be filled by those officers of
the Madison, Wisconsin Area Local, American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO,
having the same titles.
Article II
The four officers of the
corporation shall comprise the Board of Directors of the corporation.
Article
III
Upon adoption of these by-laws, and upon any future
change in the holder of any of the offices of the corporation, the Board of
Directors shall meet in order to:
1.Select one of their
number as the Registered Agent of the corporation. The Registered Agent must be
a resident of the State of Wisconsin, and shall, if possible, be the Secretary
of the corporation. (Sec. 181.08 Stats.)
2.
Direct the Secretary to report any change in the name or address of the
Registered Agent to the Secretary of State, with an accompanying affirmance that
the change was authorized by the Board of Directors. (Sec.
181.09(1), Stats.)
3.
Direct the Secretary to report any changes in the names or addresses of
the officers of the corporation to the Secretary of State. (Sec. 181.265,
Stats.)
Article IV
The
Secretary of the corporation shall file the annual report of the corporation
with the Secretary of State on or before June 30 of each year. (Sec.
181.653, Stats.) The Secretary shall also keep minutes of the meetings of
the membership and the Board of Directors. (Sec. 181.27(1), Stats.)
Article V
The Board of Directors shall
endeavor to hold an annual meeting of the membership of the corporation at a
time and place to be established by the Board. (Sec. 181.14, Stats.)
The voting membership must be given notice by mail at least 10, but not more
than 50 days in advance of the meeting date. (Sec. 181.15, Stats.) This
meeting may be held co-jointly with a membership meeting of the Madison,
Wisconsin Area Local, American Postal Workers Union, AFL-CIO.
Article VI
The
procedure to amend these by-laws shall be the same as that set forth in the
By-Laws of the Madison, Wisconsin Area Local, American Postal Workers Union,
AFL-CIO.
END
Constitution and By-Laws ratified on October 29, 1971.
Constitution Committee Proposals and Amendments ratified on 1/9/73; 3/19/74;
12/21/78; 3/18/80; 6/17/80; 11/21/80; 1/20/81;
2/17/81; 5/19/81; 10/20/81; 1/19/82; 2/15/83; 1/17/84; 3/19/85; 2/17/87;
10/20/87; 10/18/88; 1/21/92; 2/21/93; 10/17/93;
1/19/00; 1/22/04; 11/22/05; 1/22/08
Date of this printing: 1/22/08