CONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS
Of the
GRAND HAVEN EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, MEA-NEA, INC. (2017)
CONSTITUTION PREAMBLE:
We, the professional educators of the Grand Haven Area Public Schools believing that we must institute our own self-government, secure proper recognition and responsibility for the well being of our members, adopt this Constitution.
I. NAME
The name of this organization shall be the “Grand Haven Education Association, MEA-NEA, Inc.” an affiliated unit of the Michigan and National Education Associations. The Association shall be a non-profit corporation organized in accordance with the laws of Michigan.
II. PURPOSE
The objectives of this association shall be the improvement of education, the advancement of the interests of education and of educators and of educational support staff, and the promotion of the professional growth of its members.
III. MEMBERSHIP
A. All persons who meet the active membership requirements of the Michigan Education Association may, upon payment of dues as herein provided, become active members of this Association, with full rights and privileges of membership.
B. Active members of this organization shall also be members of the Michigan Education Association and the National Education Association.
C. No member shall be censured, suspended, or expelled, without a due process hearing. The hearing shall be conducted by the local trial body or by the local governing body if no trial body exists. An appeal may be made to the regional Board of Reference or MEA Board of Reference.
D. Active members who meet the requirements established by the MEA in the Dues Transmittal Policy for the payment of dues shall be considered active members in good standing and shall be entitled to the rights, privileges and benefits of membership.
IV. OFFICERS AND GOVERNING BODIES
A. Officers. The officers of the organization shall consist of a President, a Vice President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and Delegate(s) to the MEA Representative Assembly. The terms of office shall be for two (2) years and shall commence on the first of September of even numbered years. Terms of office for Representative Assembly delegates shall be for three (3) years and commence on September 1. Elections shall be held prior to May 1. The President, or duly elected officer, shall serve as a Region Council delegate.
B. No person shall be a candidate for office or position or hold office or position, whether elected or appointed, in the association unless he or she is an active member in good standing. Any office or position holder, whether elected or appointed, of the association that does not maintain active membership in good standing shall be removed from office after notice and opportunity to return to good standing within 30 days.
C. MEA Representative Assembly delegates. The term of office for MEA Representative Assembly delegates and alternates shall be three (3) years commencing on September 1. Elections shall be held prior to June 1. When there are four (4) or more MEA Representative Assembly delegates elected, Representative(s) of Minority Persons 3-1G shall be elected as required by the MEA Constitution and Bylaws. Each MEA Representative Assembly delegate shall serve as a Region Council delegate.
D. NEA Representative Assembly delegates. The term of office for NEA Representative Assembly delegates and alternates shall be three (3) years commencing on September 1. Elections shall be held prior to April 1. When there are three (3) or more NEA Representative Assembly delegates elected, Representative(s) of Minority Persons 3-1G shall be elected as required by the MEA Constitution and Bylaws.
E. Any additional Region Council delegates. The term of office for any additional Region Council delegates shall be two (2) years commencing on September 1.
F. GOVERNING BODY
1. There shall be a governing body known as the Executive Board, which shall consist of the officers, delegate(s) to the MEA Representative Assembly, National Education Association (NEA) representative(s), and association building representatives.
2. Representation of Minority Persons 3-1G. The ethnic representation shall be in compliance with the constitutions and bylaws of the National Education Association and the Michigan Education Association. In the event that the ethnic representation is less than required by the constitutions and bylaws of the MEA and NEA, rules and procedures shall be established for an at-large election to ensure proportionate ethnic minority representation.
G. REPLACEMENT
Vacancies in offices shall be filled according to procedures as provided in the Bylaws.
H. EX-OFFICIO
Those persons who are members of the Board by virtue of the office they hold are entitled to all of the privileges of membership, except the right to vote. Ex-officio members shall include the Chairpersons of the Professional Negotiations Committee, Professional Rights and Responsibilities Committee, the Public Relations/Grant Guidelines Committee, the Political Action Committee, and the Region Council Delegate Representative(s).
V. direct legislation
INITIATIVE, REFERENDUM, AND RECALL.
A. Initiative. The rights of popular initiative shall rest with the active membership in good standing of the association. Upon receipt of a petition signed by at least fifteen percent (15%) of the active membership in good standing of the association, the secretary shall announce a general meeting or ballot as indicated on the petition within fifteen (15) calendar days for the purposes presented in the petition. A majority of the total active membership in good standing shall be required for its adoption, which shall take effect thirty (30) days later.
B. Referendum. The rights of referendum shall rest with the active membership in good standing of the association. Upon receipt of a petition signed by at least fifteen percent (15%) of the active membership in good standing of the association, the secretary shall announce a general meeting or ballot as indicated on the petition within fifteen (15) calendar days for the purposes presented in the petition. A majority of the total active membership in good standing shall be required for its adoption, which shall take effect thirty (30) days later.
C. Recall. The right of recall shall rest with the electing body. Upon receipt of a petition signed by at least fifteen percent (15%) of the membership in good standing of the electing body, the secretary shall announce a general meeting or ballot by the electing body as indicated on the petition within fifteen (15) calendar days for the purposes presented in the petition. A majority of the total active membership in good standing shall be required for its adoption, which shall take effect thirty (30) days later. Delegates to the MEA Representative Assembly may only be recalled for just cause.
D. Petitions shall be filed with the secretary. However if the secretary is the subject of the petition, the petition shall be filed with the most senior member of the governing body not subject to the petition.
vi. membership and fiscal year
The membership and fiscal years shall be September 1 through August 31.
vii. authority
Any part of this Constitution and/or Bylaws, which is in conflict with the MEA and/or NEA Constitution and/or Bylaws, will be declared null and void.
viii. amendments
Amendments to this Constitution may be introduced by the membership by petition signed by fifteen percent (15%) of the total active membership in good standing and submitted to the vice secretary. Amendments to the Constitution may also be introduced by the Executive Board These proposed amendments shall be acted upon at a subsequent meeting of the membership in good standing or by ballot within sixty (60) days of submission. A copy of the proposed amendment, together with the recommendations of the Executive Board, shall be sent to each member of the association in good standing at least fifteen (15) days prior to voting. A two-thirds (2/3) affirmative vote of the current total active membership in good standing voting is required to adopt the proposed amendment, which shall become effective immediately upon its adoption unless otherwise provided.
BYLAWS
Of the
GRAND HAVEN EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, MEA-NEA, INC.
BYLAWS
I. RULES
Robert's Rules of Order, latest edition, shall be the authority of all questions of procedure not specifically stated in the Constitution and Bylaws.
ii. meetings
A. GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS. The president or a majority of the Executive Board shall call general membership meetings at such time and place, as they deem necessary. Business to come before special meetings will be announced to the membership. At least eighteen (18) hours notice is required, specifying date, time, place and purpose of such meetings.
B. EXECUTIVE BOARD. The Executive Board shall meet at least once a month during the school year. The place and time of meetings will be determined at the September meeting. After establishment of a calendar, the membership shall be notified of dates, times and place of meetings. The president or three members of the Executive Board may call special meetings.
C. Except as specified in MEA Administrative Policies, meetings shall be open to all members in good standing and members in good standing shall be permitted to address meetings under rules established by the association.
iii. quorum
A quorum for the general membership meetings shall be ten (10) percent of the total active MEA membership in good standing. A quorum for the Executive Board meetings shall be at least two-thirds (2/3) of the elected members in good standing.
iv. duties of officers
A. PRESIDENT. The president shall preside over all meetings, appoint members of committees subject to the approval of the Executive Board, be an ex-officio member of all committees, represent the Association before the public, be executive officer of the Association, submit annual budget for consideration and perform all other functions attributed to this office.
B. VICE PRESIDENT. The vice president shall serve in the president's absence, and work with one or more standing or ad hoc committees as determined by the president. The vice president shall also be chairperson of the Nominations and Elections Committee. In the event that the vice president is a candidate for office, the president shall appoint a nominating committee of not less than one member from an elementary school, one from the intermediate school, one from the middle school, and one from the high school. The nominating committee shall present nominations in writing or electronically to the general membership and provide for other nominations from the membership in good standing.
C. SECRETARY. The secretary shall keep accurate minutes of all meetings of the General Membership and the Executive Board, make minutes available for membership inspection, maintain official files, and assist the president with Association correspondence.
D. TREASURER. The treasurer shall deposit funds of the Association and disperse them according to decisions of the Executive Board, maintain the roll of active members, keep accurate accounts of receipts and expenditures, report to each meeting of the General Membership and Executive Board, prepare an annual financial statement for the membership, and assist in preparing the annual budget. The Treasurer shall be bonded and the Association shall provide for an annual audit of the books.
E. MEA Representative Assembly delegates: Keep association informed of actions by the MEA and issues to be presented to the Representative Assembly, attend the MEA Representative Assembly and other appropriate meetings and report back to the association.
F. NEA representative assembly delegates: Keep association informed of actions by the NEA and issues to be presented to the Representative Assembly, attend the NEA Representative Assembly and other appropriate meetings and report back to the association.
G. Region council delegates: Keep association informed of actions by the region council and issues to be presented to the region council, attend the region council and other appropriate meetings and report back to the association.
V. powers of the executive board
Upon the Executive Board shall rest the duties, responsibilities and authority for the conduct of the Association in all matters except as provided in the Constitution and Bylaws. The Executive Board may at any time refer matters to the general membership for considerations.
vi. association representatives
A. Association Representatives shall be elected on the basis of one Association Representative and Alternate for each twenty-five (25) members in good standing or major fraction thereof, allowing each administrative unit at least one representative. The election shall occur before June 1 and the term of the office shall be one year beginning September 1.
B. The duty of the Association Representative shall be to attend the regular and special meetings of the executive Board, call meetings of their building membership to discuss Association business, supervise enrollment of new members in their building, provide communications between members and the Executive Board, and help the vice president with nominations and elections.
C. Vacancy in the position of Association Representative shall be filled by a special election in the building.
VII. DELEGATIONS
A. Region Council shall be elected annually from the membership at-large in accordance with the Region Constitution. Their duties shall be to attend Region meetings and to provide communications between the Association and the Region.
B. UNISERV Coordinating Council Delegates shall consist of the president of the Association and the chairperson of the Professional Negotiations Committee. Their duties shall be to attend Coordinating Council meetings and to provide communications between the Coordinating Council and the Association.
C. The Area Bargaining Committee Delegates shall consist of the president of the Association and the chairperson of the Professional Negotiations Committee for the Association. Their duties shall be to attend committee meetings and to provide communications between the bargaining group and the Association.
D. The NEA National Convention Delegate(s) and Alternates to the NEA Representative Assembly shall be elected from the active MEA membership of the district on an at-large basis for a three (3) year term. The term of office for NEA Representative Assembly delegates and alternates shall be three (3) years commencing on September 1. Elections shall be held prior to April 1. When there are three (3) or more NEA Representative Assembly delegates elected, Representative(s) of Minority Persons 3-1G shall be elected as required by the MEA Constitution and Bylaws. Elections shall be held in March. Delegate(s) must be active members of the United Profession. The Alternate's opportunity of attending the convention will be determined by the order of votes received in the election. The vice president and the Association Representatives who comprise the Nominations and Elections Committee will conduct the nominations and elections. The Executive Board shall each year vote to provide an expense allowance of reasonable amount for the NEA National Convention Delegate(s). The NEA Constitution and Bylaws shall determine the number of delegates.
VIII. COMMITTEES
The chairperson of each committee shall make recommendations as to all other members of the committee subject to the approval of the president and the Executive Board. These chairpersons shall organize their various committees at such times, as they deem necessary, upon request of the president, or upon a majority vote of the Executive Board. It is the responsibility of each committee chairperson to keep the Executive Board informed of the committee's activities. All final committee reports and/or resolutions to be submitted to any individual or group shall have prior approval of the Executive Board.
There shall be the following Standing Committees:
A. The Professional Negotiations Committee shall consist of a chairperson, the chairperson of the Professional Rights and Responsibilities Committee, three (3) members selected at-large from the active membership of the Association, and one ex-officio member from the Area Bargaining Committee of which the Association is a member. This committee shall be responsible for formulating recommendations and making a continuous appraisal of school policy from which to make and negotiate proposals for wages, hours, terms, and conditions of employment.
B. The Professional Rights and Responsibilities Committee shall consist of a chairperson and at least two additional members. It shall be the duty of this committee to implement and maintain the integrity of the Master Agreement. It shall be the responsibility of the members of this committee to act as a District Board of Review and to enforce the MEA and NEA Code of Ethics with the approval of the Executive Board.
C. The Leadership Pay Committee shall consist of a chairperson and at least two additional members who shall be appointed each January by the president with the approval of the Executive Board. It shall be the duty of this committee to evaluate the performance of all paid positions of the Association as identified in the Operating Policies of the Association. In addition, the committee shall keep appraised of the pay of leadership positions of a similar nature in the area and shall recommend changes to the Executive Board when necessary or requested. The reimbursement of local, state, and national dues shall be a part of the leadership pay. These reimbursements shall not be in addition to recommended pay, but a part of the pay. The Leadership Pay committee shall make a written report to the Executive Board at the regular November meeting.
D. Any ad hoc committee shall be appointed by the president with the approval of the Executive Board. The chairperson of the committee shall be an ex-officio member of the Executive Board and shall report regularly to the Executive Board about the committee's progress. The duties of an ad hoc committee will end upon completion of their charge and final report to the Executive Board.
IX. NOMINATION AND ELECTIONS
A. The Vice President shall be Chairperson of the Nominations and Elections Committee. The Association Representatives shall comprise the rest of the committee. In the event that the vice president is a candidate for office, the president shall appoint a nominating committee of not less than one member from an elementary school, one from the intermediate school, one from the middle school, and one from the high school. The nominating committee shall present nominations in writing or electronically to the general membership and provide for other nominations from the membership in good standing. The Elections Committee shall establish election procedures which guarantee that all elections shall provide for open nominations by active members in good standing, secret ballot, voting procedures and preservation of ballots for at least one (1) year if applicable. Every member in good standing shall have the opportunity to vote. The preserved ballots shall be kept in the custody of the president. Online voting is permitted. Officer elections shall occur in March of even numbered years. The person elected shall take office on the first of September. Elections for MEA and NEA Representative Assembly delegates and their alternates shall also take place in March concurrently with the Regional MEA Elections but terms of office will be staggered if there is more than one delegate.
B. The Executive Board shall certify the Elections Committee report and publish results of the election. Official reports of elections must be filed with MEA within thirty (30) days after the election. Official reports of elected representative assembly delegates shall be filed with MEA within ten (10) days after the election.
C. Vacancies in office shall be filled by the Executive Board for the remainder of the unexpired term except for a vacancy in the office of president and/or Representative Assembly delegate. The president shall always be elected by a vote of the membership. The duly elected alternate shall replace Representative Assembly delegates. If a vacancy should occur in the office of president, the vice president shall call for an election before thirty days have passed. The new president shall assume office upon certification of the election by the Executive Board.
D. All officers plus NEA delegates must always be elected at large by the membership. These positions may never be appointed. Voting shall take place by secret ballot. Online voting is permitted. Every active member in good standing shall have the opportunity to vote. Vacancies in the positions of NEA Representative Assembly Delegates may only be replaced by duly elected alternates. All elections shall take place following the one member/one vote principle.The preserved ballots shall be kept in the custody of the president.
X. CONTRACT RATIFICATION
RATIFICATION PROCEDURE. Only a proposed contract tentatively agreed to by an officially impaneled bargaining team may be submitted to a membership for ratification vote. When the Association is considering entering into a legal, binding agreement with the employing Board of Education, the President and the Chairperson of the Professional Negotiating Committee are authorized to sign such an agreement on behalf of the membership upon completion of the following procedures:
1. A report and recommendation of the Executive Board.
2. A report and recommendation of the Professional Negotiating Committee.
3. A report and recommendation of any larger Area Bargaining Committee of which the Association is a member in good standing.
5. A written digest of proposed changes is provided to the membership.
6. There is a meeting held for discussion of the changes by the membership.
7. An affirmative vote of ⅔ of the total active local MEA membership
present at the general membership meeting for the purpose of ratification of a new master agreement.
8. Only members in good standing may vote on ratification.
XI. DUES
Dues of the Association shall consist of the total amount of local, state and national dues. Local dues shall be established by a vote of the membership in good standing and added to the state and national dues. All local special assessments shall be approved only by a vote of by the membership in good standing.
XII. AMENDMENTS
Any member may introduce amendments to these Bylaws by a petition signed by fifteen percent (15%) of the total active membership and submitted to the secretary. The Executive Board may also introduce amendments to the Bylaws. These proposed amendments shall be acted upon at a subsequent meeting of the membership in good standing or by ballot within sixty (60) days of submission. A copy of the proposed amendment together with the recommendations of the Executive Board shall be sent to each member in good standing of the association at least fifteen (15) days prior to voting. A majority affirmative vote of the active membership in good standing voting is required to adopt the proposed amendment, which shall become effective immediately upon adoption unless otherwise provided.
XIII. EFFECTIVE DATE
This Constitution and Bylaws shall become effective upon adoption by a majority vote of the active membership in good standing of the Association.
DATE RATIFIED: ___April 14, 2017__
DATE AMENDED: __Nov. 22, 2016
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