CONSTITUTION OF THE
ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSORS OF BISHOP’S UNIVERSITY
(Ratified February 8, 2012)

 

 

 

The legal name of the Association is “L’Association des Professeur(e)s de Bishop’s University.” The Association shall use “The Association of Professors of Bishop’s University” or “APBU” as its customary name.

 

 

The Association shall be a member of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) and of la Fédération québécoise des professeures et professeurs d’université (FQPPU) and shall pay the dues set by these organizations. The Association may also affiliate with any other union organization whose professional interests coincide with its own.

 

 

The goals of the Association are:

 

a.   To promote the interests and the welfare of all of its members and to uphold their dignity in the workplace;

 

b.   To represent its members in employer-employee relations, and, in particular, to bargain collectively on their behalf, including, but not limited to, negotiating policies and working conditions on matters such as hiring, firing, salaries, fringe benefits, pensions, promotion, tenure, leaves, grievances, and the uniformity and consistency of job classifications;

 

c.   To promote the professional development and career advancement of all of its members, and, in particular, to advocate for a working environment free from discrimination and harassment; to protect academic freedom and freedom of expression; and to promote education,  research, and creative and other activities within the University;

 

d.   To seek the fullest representation of all of its members in the operation of the University, to provide a means of communication among them, and to communicate on their behalf with other members of the University community and relevant groups external to the University, as appropriate; and

 

e.   To provide a democratic form of government within the Association which allows equal voice to all voting members. (Unless otherwise specified, all further references to "member" in this document refer to those who are members of both a bargaining unit and the Association.)

 

 

4.1.    Members

 

a.   Membership in the Association is open to all persons who are members of any of the bargaining units as defined by certificates of accreditation of the APBU.

 

b.   To become a member of the Association, a candidate must complete and sign an application form, pay an initiation fee and be accepted by the Association. The initiation fee shall be determined by the membership at an Annual General Meeting of the Association and shall not be less than the minimum allowed by the law.

 

c.   Members who wish to withdraw from the Association may do so by informing the Secretary of the Association in writing.

 

d.   An individual who has voluntarily withdrawn from the Association in the past may return as a member by requesting re-instatement in writing, by filling out a new application form and by paying the initiation fee.

 

e.   Members shall retain the rights and responsibilities of membership during periods of paid leave. During periods of unpaid leave, members may retain such rights and responsibilities as long as they continue to pay appropriate dues to the Association.

 

f.    Contract Faculty shall be able to retain and/or apply for membership in the Association for as long as they are members of the bargaining unit.

g.   In cases of doubt or dispute as to eligibility for membership, the Executive Committee shall make a ruling.

 

4.2     Dues

 

All members of the bargaining units are required to pay dues while they are employed by the University. These dues shall be determined by the members of the Association at an Annual General Meeting of the Association and shall be collected through payroll deduction. 

 

4.3.    Associate Members

 

a.   Associate membership shall be open to all retired members who pay an annual fee of $1.00. These fees shall be paid to the Treasurer of the Association.

 

b.   Associate members may speak at general meetings and may provide information to the Association.

 

c.   Associate members are not eligible to vote at general or unit meetings, nor to serve on the Executive Committee, on a negotiating team or on any Association committee.

 

d.   Associate members may not propose or second motions at general or unit meetings, and are not eligible to run for office or to nominate candidates.

 

 

5.1     Powers and Functions

 

a.   It shall be the duty of the Executive Committee to manage the affairs of the Association as directed by the members, and to investigate and report on matters of  interest to the Association.

 

b.   In the event that it is necessary for the Association to proceed to arbitration under a collective agreement, the Executive Committee shall act on its behalf.

 

c.   The Executive Committee may appoint ad hoc committees as required.

 

d.   The Executive Committee shall call the Annual General Meeting, and other regular and special meetings of the Association, in the manner set forth in Article 11.

 

5.2     Membership

 

a.   The Officers of the Association shall be:

 

b.   The immediate Past President of the Association, along with the Officers, shall constitute the Executive Committee of the Association. Should there be no immediate Past President, or should the immediate Past President be unwilling to serve on the Executive Committee, then the Executive Committee may appoint a previous Past President to serve in this position.

 

c.   The Academic Negotiations Officer and the Staff Negotiations Officer shall serve as non-voting members of the Executive Committee during those years in which contract negotiations are conducted.

 

d.   The Academic Negotiations Officer shall be elected by and from among the members of the two academic bargaining units.

 

e.   The Staff Negotiations Officer shall be elected by and from among the members of the Staff Bargaining Unit.

 

f.    Each of the three vice-presidents, each of the three grievance officers and each of the three membership officers shall be elected by and from among the members of their specific bargaining unit exclusively.

 

g.   The Librarian Representative shall be an academic librarian and shall be elected by the members of the Fulltime Faculty & Librarians Unit.

 

h.   The President shall be a member of the Fulltime Faculty & Librarians Unit and shall be elected by the members of all the units.

 

i.    All of the other officers of the Association shall be elected by and from among the members of all the bargaining units.

 

j.    No person may hold more than one of the positions referred to in Article 5.2a-b at the same time.

 

5.3    Conflicts of Interest

 

a.   Any member of the Executive Committee who has a direct involvement in, and thus a potential conflict of interest with regard to, an issue coming before the Executive Committee shall withdraw from that portion of any meeting dealing with that issue.

 

b.   Any member of the Executive Committee holding an office, or chairing a committee, which must adjudicate an issue which involves that individual (or his/her spouse, spousal equivalent, child or parent) shall temporarily step down from that position and shall withdraw from that portion of any meeting dealing with that issue.

 

c.   When a possible conflict of interest on the part of a member of the Executive Committee is perceived by any member of the Association, said Association member shall bring the situation to the attention of the Executive Committee. Any member of the Executive Committee who is determined to be in a conflict of interest by a majority vote of the Executive Committee shall be required to abide by the appropriate provisions of 5.3 (a) and (b).

 

 

6.1     Nominations

 

a.   A call for nominations of candidates for the positions of Officers shall be made no less than two weeks before the Annual General Meeting.

 

b.   Nominations of candidates for the position of each of the Officers shall be made in writing, which can include the submission of a PDF of a scanned nomination form with the appropriate signatures.  Each nomination form shall bear the signatures of two members of the Association other than the nominee, and must also be signed by the nominee. The nominators of each candidate must be from the bargaining unit or units whose members are eligible to vote for the position.

 

c.   All nomination forms shall be placed in the hands of the Secretary of the Association no less than four full working days prior to the Annual General Meeting.  A list of all nominees shall be posted no less than two business days prior to the Annual General Meeting.

 

d.   In the event that no nominations for a position are received prior to the deadline, at the Annual General Meeting the President shall call for nominations from the floor. Eligible candidates who are nominated by two eligible nominators shall be added to the ballot, should they agree to serve.

 

 

6.2     Elections

 

a.   The members of the Executive Committee, with the exception of the negotiations officers, shall be elected annually at the Annual General Meeting in March, and shall serve from May 1^st to April 30^th of the following year.

 

b.   Notwithstanding Article 6.2a, if the elections cannot be held at the Annual General Meeting for lack of a quorum, a new Annual General Meeting must be held by the end of April. In the event that the elections again cannot be held due to lack of quorum, the sitting Executive Committee shall remain in office until an election can be held.

 

c.   It is the responsibility of all members to attend the Annual General Meeting and to vote in the elections. When necessary, members of the Contract Faculty and Staff units shall be permitted to cast advance ballots for their representatives on the Executive Committee. These ballots must be received before the start of the Annual General Meeting.

 

d.   All Officers of the Executive Committee shall be elected by the members. In the event that there is only one nomination for a position, the members shall vote either for or against that nomination. 

 

e.   Elections shall be conducted by secret ballot, normally under the supervision of the President, who shall ensure that two scrutineers are chosen to count the ballots.

 

f.    To be elected, the Academic Negotiations Officer must receive a majority of the votes cast by the members of each academic bargaining unit separately. The election of the other Officers shall be by a simple majority of those who have voted.

 

g.   If no candidate for a position receives the required majority on the first ballot there shall be a run-off election between the two leading candidates at the same meeting, with members present at the meeting voting.

 

 

a.   If, at any time, the office of the President of the Association shall become vacant, the Past President shall become the acting President. Should there be no Past President, or should the Past President be unwilling to serve, then the Fulltime Faculty & Librarians Vice-President shall serve as interim President until such time as an election can be held.

 

b.   If an office other than President becomes vacant, the Executive Committee shall appoint a member of the Association from the same unit to this office to serve until the next Annual General Meeting of the Association or, if deemed necessary by the Executive Committee, until an election for that office can be held. In the event that the vacant office is that of a membership officer or a grievance officer, and it proves impossible to find another member of that unit to fill the office, the Executive Committee may authorize the vice-president of that unit to take on the duties of the office until the next Annual General Meeting of the Association.

 

c.   Should the President be temporarily absent from the campus for an extended period of time, the Executive Committee shall designate either the Past President or the Fulltime Faculty & Librarians Vice-President as acting President.

 

d.   The position of an elected member of the Executive Committee shall be declared vacant if the member is absent for five consecutive meetings, unless a leave is approved by the Executive.

 

e.   Should a member of the Executive Committee act in violation of the Labour Code or the Constitution of the APBU or any of its collective agreements, the Executive Committee shall have the power to remove him/her from office by a unanimous vote of the other members of the Executive.

 

 

8.1     The President

 

a.   The President shall have the overall responsibility for promoting the proper functioning of the Executive Committee, and of the Association as a whole.

 

b.   The President shall represent all units equally and fairly in the best interests of the Association as a whole.

 

c.   The President shall act as a liaison between the Association and the University administration, and shall represent the Association to bodies external to the University. The President may designate others to act in these capacities as necessary.

 

d.   The President shall call and chair general meetings and the meetings of the Executive Committee, and shall be an ex officio member of all other committees of the Association. The President shall have a vote at meetings of the Executive Committee, but at all other committees shall vote only in the case of a tie.

 

e.   Should the President be unable to attend a meeting of the Executive Committee, he/she shall designate another member of the Executive Committee to chair the meeting.

 

 

 

 

8.2     The Vice-Presidents

 

a.   The vice-presidents shall represent the concerns of the members of their respective units and shall advise the Executive Committee on the implications for their respective units of the policies and activities of the Association.

 

b.    The vice-presidents shall advise and assist the President in all matters involving their bargaining unit(s).

 

c.   The three vice-presidents shall be members of the Joint Committee for their respective bargaining units.

 

d.   The Staff Vice-President shall coordinate the Association’s efforts at the Staff Joint Committee. 

 

e.   The Fulltime Faculty & Librarians Vice-President and the Contract Faculty Vice-President shall coordinate the Association’s efforts concerning matters involving their respective units at the Academic Joint Committee. When there is a matter involving both academic units before the Academic Joint Committee, the Association’s efforts shall be coordinated jointly by the Fulltime Faculty & Librarians Vice-President and the Contract Faculty Vice-President.

 

8.3     The Secretary

 

a.   The Secretary shall assist the President in the organization of meetings and elections.

 

b.   The Secretary shall maintain an accurate and up-to-date set of minutes of general      meetings and of the Executive Committee.

 

c.   The Secretary shall keep a record of the membership of the Association.

 

d.   The Secretary shall keep a list of the names of the Association representatives on Association and University committees.

 

8.4     The Treasurer

 

a.   The Treasurer shall be responsible for managing the financial resources of the Association.

 

b.   The Treasurer shall oversee all the financial activities of the Association, and shall make regular reports to the Executive Committee on the performance of this responsibility.

 

c.   The Treasurer shall recommend appropriate financial investments to the Executive Committee.

 

d.   The Treasurer shall implement the verification mechanisms adopted by the Executive Committee, and shall make an annual report thereon at the Annual General Meeting.

 

8.5     The Communications Officer

 

a.   The Communications Officer shall oversee the internal and external communications of the Association.

 

b.   The Communications Officer shall be responsible for the Association’s day-to-day relations with the media.

 

c.   The Communications Officer shall ensure that the Association’s Website is kept up-to-date.

 

d.   The Communications Officer shall be responsible for informing the membership, and entities internal and external to the University community, about the activities of the Executive Committee and the Association.

 

e.   The Communications Officer shall coordinate his/her activities with the Membership Committee, in conjunction with the membership officers.

 

f.    Upon request of the Communications Officer, the Executive Committee shall create a committee to assist him/her in carrying out the responsibilities of the position.

 

8.6     The Librarian Representative

 

a.   The Librarian Representative shall represent the interests of the academic librarians within the Association.

 

b.   The Librarian Representative shall advise the Executive Committee on all matters affecting the academic librarians.

 

8.7     The Grievance Officers

 

a.   Each grievance officer shall provide initial advice to members from their respective units who are considering whether to lodge an individual grievance, and shall be responsible for drafting grievances involving members of their respective bargaining units as the need arises.  Individual requests concerning grievances are confidential to the Executive Committee.

 

b.   The Fulltime Faculty and Staff Grievance Officers shall be members of the Joint Committee for their respective bargaining units.

 

c.   The three grievance officers shall be members of the Grievance Committee.

 

d.   The three grievance officers shall advise the Executive Committee on the implications for their respective units of the policies and activities of the Association.

 

8.8     The Membership Officers

 

a.   The membership officers shall coordinate the Association’s efforts to encourage the members of all the bargaining units to join the Association and to become involved in its activities.

 

b.   The membership officers shall be responsible for keeping up-to-date lists of those members of their bargaining units who have become members of the Association.

 

c.   The membership officers shall be members of the Membership Committee.

 

d.   The membership officers shall advise the Executive Committee on the implications for their respective units of the policies and activities of the Association.

 

 

9.1     Grievance Committee

 

a.   The Grievance Committee shall be a standing committee of the Association and shall be composed of the three grievance officers.

 

b.   In situations that might give rise to an Association grievance, the Grievance Committee shall advise the Executive Committee on whether or not such a grievance should be brought forward to the appropriate Joint Committee. 

 

c.   In situations involving disputes between two bargaining unit members that might give rise to a grievance, the Grievance Committee shall evaluate the situation and attempt to resolve the dispute.

 

d.   When there is a grievance arising from a dispute between two bargaining unit members that might go to arbitration, the Grievance Committee shall advise the Executive Committee on whether or not it shall be brought forward to arbitration. Decisions to bring grievances forward to arbitration shall rest exclusively with the Executive Committee.

 

e.   When a grievance is resolved, the outcome shall be reported at the next general meeting.

9.2     Membership Committee

 

a.   The Membership Committee shall be a standing committee of the Association. It shall be composed of the three membership officers and three non-Executive members of the Association selected by the Executive Committee.

 

b.   The Membership Committee shall: develop ways to increase the involvement of members in the life of the Association; facilitate the integration of new members into the Association; assist the Communications Officer as required; and organize social activities.

 

c.   The Membership Committee shall actively solicit candidates for nomination to the Executive Committee and other Association committees.

 

 9.3    Budget Review Committee

 

a.   The Budget Review Committee shall be a standing committee of the Association. It shall be composed of the Treasurer, the three vice-presidents, and two non-Executive members of the Association with financial expertise.

 

b.   In conjunction with the Executive Committee, the Budget Review Committee shall determine the annual budget of the Association.

 

c.   The Budget Review Committee shall organize and carry out the annual verification of the Association’s finances, and organize the necessary audits, as specified in Article 12.

 

d.   The Budget Review Committee shall evaluate requests from members for financial support to obtain legal assistance and shall make recommendations regarding them to the Executive Committee.

 

e.   The Budget Review Committee may consult outside experts as deemed necessary.

 

 9.4    Ad Hoc Committees

 

Ad hoc committees may be appointed by the Executive Committee as required, or formed by a motion adopted at a general meeting. In the latter case, the motion shall include the name of the committee, its mandate and its composition. Ad hoc committees dissolve upon completion of their mandate.

 

 

a.   Association representatives on Joint Committees and on the Pension Committee shall keep the President informed of the work of their respective committees on a regular basis.

 

b.   Should a member of the Executive Committee serving on a Joint Committee for the administration of a collective agreement be unable to attend a scheduled meeting of that Joint Committee, the Executive Committee may designate another of its members from the same bargaining unit to attend in his/her place.

 

 

11.1   General Meetings

 

a.   The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall be called by the President in March.  At least one week's notice must be given to all members of the Association of the Annual General Meeting.

 

b.   Separate meetings for each unit may be called from time to time. There shall be at least one such meeting of each unit each year, and other meetings may be called at the request of members or at the discretion of the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee may also call special general meetings of all bargaining units if necessary. Normally one week’s notice of such meetings shall be given.

 

c.   Members of one unit may attend meetings of the other units as observers.

 

d.   At all unit meetings, 15% of the relevant membership shall be required to form a quorum. At all general meetings, quorum shall be a number of members from any bargaining unit equal to 20% of the total membership of the Fulltime Faculty & Librarians Unit and the Staff Unit combined.  At all meetings quorum shall be determined at the start of the meeting, and shall be verified during the course of the meeting if requested.

 

e.   All meetings shall be chaired by the President or a deputy. An agenda shall be provided with the notice of all meetings and shall provide the following order of business: 1. Call to Order and Verification of Quorum; 2. Approval of Agenda; 3. Approval of Past Minutes; 4. Business Arising from Past Minutes; 5. New Business; 6. Any Other Business; 7. Motion to Adjourn.  Except as indicated otherwise in this constitution, the procedures at all meetings shall be conducted according to Robert's Rules of Order. 

 

f.    A special general meeting of all the units shall be called at any time on demand of 15% of the members of the Association, served upon the Secretary and stating in writing the reason for calling such a meeting. A special meeting of a single unit shall be called at any time on demand of 15% of the members of the unit concerned, served upon the Secretary and stating in writing the reason for calling such a meeting. One week's notice must be given for all special meetings.

 

g.   At general and special meetings, voting shall be by show of hands, except where otherwise stated. Motions shall require a simple majority to be passed, except where otherwise stated. A vote shall be held by secret ballot if a formal motion to this effect is passed at a meeting. The President shall not vote except in the case of a ballot, or to break a tie.  

 

h.   Minutes shall be taken at all general and unit meetings. They shall include each motion, the names of the mover and the seconder, and the numerical results of the vote. Minutes of all meetings shall be distributed to the members of the entire Association, or of the unit concerned, within two weeks of each meeting. Minutes shall also be made available to associate members upon request.

 

11.2   Executive Committee Meetings

 

a.     Executive Committee meetings shall normally be held every two weeks during the Fall and Winter semesters. During the Spring and Summer, meetings shall be held at the discretion of the President, but at least once every two months. Minutes of each meeting shall be taken and shall include each motion, the names of the mover and the seconder, and the result of the vote.

 

b.     At the start of the term of each new Executive Committee, an orientation session shall be organized for the Executive Committee by a returning President, or by the Past President.

 

c.     The Executive Committee may permit or ask other members of the Association to attend a meeting.  Portions of the meetings of the Executive Committee may be held in camera at its discretion.

 

d.     Quorum for meetings of the Executive Committee shall be reached when at least six members are present. These six members must include one representative from each of the three bargaining units and the President or another member of the Executive Committee designated by him/her.

 

e.     At Executive Committee meetings voting shall normally be by a show of hands. A secret ballot shall be conducted if requested by two or more members. Except for a motion to remove a member of the Executive Committee, all motions shall require a simple majority to be passed.  In the event of a tie, the motion shall be considered defeated.

 

 

a.     The fiscal year of the Association shall be May 1 to April 30.

 

b.     The Executive Committee shall authorize all expenditures of the Association.

 

c.     All money collected shall be deposited to one or several accounts in the Association's name.

 

d.     Financial transactions of, by, and on behalf of the Association shall require the signatures of two of the three duly authorized signing officers. These officers should normally be the Treasurer, the Secretary and the President.

 

e.     The general ledger of the Association may be inspected by any member at any time.

 

f.      The Executive Committee shall provide for the acquisition, management and disposition of the property of the Association.

 

g.     The Treasurer shall present an interim financial report which shall be circulated with the notice of the Annual General Meeting.

 

h.     The Executive Committee shall provide for an independent verification of the financial accounts of the Association as of the end of each fiscal year. A report of this verification shall be circulated to the membership.

 

i.      The Executive Committee shall also provide for an independent audit of the financial accounts of the Association every five years, or earlier if necessary. A report of this audit shall be circulated to the membership.

 

 

13.1   The Negotiations Issues Committees

 

a.   There shall be three negotiations issues committees:

 

(i)     The Fulltime Faculty & Librarians Committee shall consist of six people: the President (ex officio), the Librarian Representative, the Fulltime Faculty Membership Officer, and three members elected by and from among the members of the Fulltime Faculty & Librarians Unit;

 

(ii)   The Contract Faculty Committee shall consist of five people: the President (ex officio), the Contract Faculty Membership Officer and three members elected by and from among the members of the Contract Faculty Unit; and

 

(iii) The Staff Committee shall consist of five people: the President (ex officio), the Staff Membership Officer and three members elected by and from among the members of the Staff Unit.

 

b.   Elections for the negotiations issues committees shall take place at the same general meeting as that for the negotiations officers.  Elections for these positions shall be conducted as specified in 6.2.

 

c.   The mandate of each negotiations issues committee is to gather information and to develop negotiating objectives on the basis of consultation with the members of their bargaining unit(s).

 

d.   The committees shall solicit written proposals concerning their next collective agreement from the members of their bargaining unit(s).  In addition, they may consult with other faculty associations and review other collective agreements. The committees shall then formulate lists of issues of concern.

 

e.   This information shall be presented for discussion at a meeting of the unit(s) concerned called for this purpose. This meeting must take place at least three months prior to the beginning of contract negotiations.

 

f.    Following the unit meetings, the committees will review written proposals and points raised in discussion at the meetings, and formulate lists of negotiation issues that reflect the concerns of the Association. Each committee shall present its list to the Executive Committee for approval within one month of their meeting, and shall inform the membership of these issues. Once their list of issues has been presented to the membership, each negotiation issues committee shall be dissolved.

 

13.2   The Role of the Executive Committee

 

a.   The Executive Committee shall receive the list of negotiating objectives developed by each negotiations issues committee. From this, the Executive Committee shall formulate negotiating positions and priorities, and shall inform the membership of these positions and priorities, where such information and/or consultation does not compromise the ability of the negotiating teams to negotiate effectively on the Association's behalf. The Executive Committee shall then direct the negotiating teams on the basis of these positions.

 

b.   During negotiations, the Executive Committee shall keep the membership informed of developments, consulting them when necessary, where such information and/or consultation do not compromise the ability of the negotiating teams to negotiate effectively on the Association's behalf.

 

13.3   The Negotiations Officers

 

The Academic Negotiations Officer and the Staff Negotiations Officer chair their respective negotiating teams and are also non-voting members of the Executive Committee during those years in which contract negotiations are conducted.  The negotiations officers shall be elected specifically to these positions on the Executive Committee at the appropriate general meeting, as determined by the Executive Committee. The negotiations officers shall serve in these positions until their respective collective agreements are signed.

 

13.4   The Negotiating Teams

 

a.   The negotiating teams shall conduct negotiations for their respective collective agreements on behalf of the Association under the direction of the Executive Committee. There shall be one team for each bargaining unit.

 

b.   The negotiating team for the Fulltime Faculty & Librarians Unit shall consist of four people: the Academic Negotiations Officer, two individuals duly elected by and from among the fulltime faculty members and one individual duly elected by and from among the professional librarians who are members.

 

c.   The negotiating team for the Contract Faculty Unit shall consist of three people: the Academic Negotiations Officer and two individuals duly elected by and from among the contract faculty members.

 

d.   The negotiating team for the Staff Unit shall consist of four people: the Staff Negotiations Officer and three individuals duly elected by and from among the staff members. 

 

e.   In the event that a negotiating team lacks its full complement of members, the Executive Committee has the authority to recognize the negotiating team as constitutionally valid, or to require a by-election to staff it to its full complement.

 

f.    Members of the negotiating teams shall be elected at a meeting to be called at the appropriate time as determined by the Executive Committee. Elections for these positions shall be conducted as specified in 6.2. Members shall retain their positions on the negotiating teams until their respective collective agreements are signed.

 

g.   During periods of contract negotiations, the negotiating teams shall receive direction from and give advice to the Executive Committee. For this purpose, all members of the negotiating teams shall attend the parts of Executive Committee meetings dealing with issues relating to contract negotiations.

 

h.   The members of the negotiating teams are collectively responsible for ensuring that there are no contradictions between the collective agreements of the different units. Any disputes in this regard shall be resolved by the Executive Committee.

 

i.    As the occasion arises, other non-member resource persons may be contacted to help the negotiating teams.

 

a.   A general meeting of at least one week's notice shall be held to ratify any collective agreement. The collective agreement(s) shall be made available in full, with or without comments by the Executive Committee, to all members who belong to the bargaining unit(s) concerned one week in advance.

 

b.   A vote to ratify a collective agreement shall be by secret ballot of the members in the unit concerned.

 

c.   The Secretary shall verify that each voter is a member of the Association.

 

d.   Two scrutineers chosen by those present at the meeting will count the ballots for and against and will announce these numbers.

 

e.   To be ratified, the collective agreement must be approved by a majority of the members in the unit concerned.

 

f.    Prior to the ratification vote, where the Executive Committee so decides, and in accordance with the Quebec Labour Code, members may cast advance ballots, which must be received by the time of the vote. Postal ballots received prior to the beginning of the meeting shall be included in the count. 

 

g.    Should the number of members of a particular bargaining unit voting constitute less than 50% of that unit, the Executive shall extend the deadline for voting until the required number of votes is attained.

 

15.  The Staff Stewards Council 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

16.1   By-laws

 

a.   The formation of by-laws, and amendments to existing by-laws, may be proposed by the Executive Committee or by any 10 members of the Association. In the latter case, the proposals must be submitted in writing to the Secretary of the Association and signed by the 10 members.

 

b.   The Secretary shall distribute the proposed text of a new by-law, or of an amendment to an existing by-law, to the membership at least one week before the vote, along with instructions on how the vote shall be conducted. Such votes may take place at a meeting called for this purpose, or in another manner to be determined by the Executive Committee. Quorum for such a vote shall be a number of members from any bargaining unit equal to 20% of the total membership of the Fulltime Faculty & Librarians Unit and the Staff Unit combined.

 

c.   To be adopted, a proposal to create a new by-law, or to amend an existing by-law, must be approved by a simple majority of those members voting.

 

16.2   Constitutional Amendments

 

a.   Amendments to the constitution may be proposed by the Executive Committee or by any 10 members of the Association. In the latter case, the proposals must be submitted in writing to the Secretary of the Association and signed by the 10 members.

 

b.   The constitution may be amended only at the Annual General Meeting or at a special general meeting specifically called for this purpose. Members must be informed of the proposed language and the time and place of the scheduled meeting at least one week in advance. The quorum for such general meetings shall be a number of members from any unit equal to 20% of the total membership of the Fulltime Faculty & Librarians Unit and the Staff Unit combined. Votes on proposed amendments to the constitution that have been duly presented shall not be subject to motions to table or postpone the vote.

 

c.   When necessary, members of the Contract Faculty and Staff units shall be permitted to cast advance ballots regarding constitutional amendments. These ballots must be received before the start of the Annual General Meeting.

 

d.   To be adopted, amendments to the constitution must be approved by a 2/3 majority of the members present at the meeting and those who have voted in advance.

 

 

17.  Copies of the Constitution

 

A current copy of the constitution and by-laws shall be provided to all members and to new members upon joining.