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Taking Action Right Now: WTU Bylaws Campaign for Checks and Balances
We are gathering over 800 member signatures so that we can propose changes to the WTU Bylaws by in time for the June WTU Membership Meeting before taking office. This way, no matter who wins the election, we can ensure that future leaders are more accountable to our members.
The Proposed Changes & Explanations
Change 1: Empowering the Executive Board over the President
Article V Section D 1
Delete full text in D1 and replace with:
1. The Executive Board shall meet for the purpose of initiating, overseeing or revising the program of the organization and to conduct other business of the organization that is within its authority.
2.The Executive Board shall employ all professional, technical, clerical and support staff of the organization.
3. The Executive Board shall establish the salary, benefits and expense guidelines of any general officer who is employed by the organization.
4. The Executive Board shall be empowered to make contracts and incur liabilities including the purchase of services, equipment and real property, to borrow money, to secure such obligations by mortgage or other instrument, and to otherwise engage in financial transactions to the extent permitted by applicable law or statute. The Executive Board shall have the power to sue, complain and defend on behalf of the membership.
Change 2: Strengthening the WTU Representative Assembly
Article VI Section 1
Insert after “membership.”:
“and any exceptions specifically set forth in this Constitution and By-Laws,”
Insert after “Representative Assembly.”
The decisions of the Representative Assembly on Union matters shall be supreme and final. The Representative Assembly may consider and act upon any matter which it regards as pertinent to the purposes and activities of this Union.
Change 3: Enshrining Membership's final say on our Collective Bargaining Agreements (CBAs)
Article VI Section 7
Insert after “Committees”:
review and vote to accept or reject tentative or final collective bargaining agreement;
Insert after “necessary”:
Action by the Representative Assembly to authorize a strike or accept or reject a tentative or final collective bargaining agreement shall be advisory only and in both instances shall be subject to a final, direct vote of the regular members.
Expanding decision-making to increase involvement
While the WTU Representative Assembly already is considered the governing body of the WTU, this has not been how it has worked for a long time. The proposed changes to the WTU Representative Assembly seek to strengthen and clarify the role of the WTU Representative Assembly in the union and professionalize that space. This will force the WTU to treat the Representative Assembly as the primary place where all major decisions for the union must be made.
Democratic Accountability of Officers to Members
The current Bylaws have allowed the WTU President to have largely unchecked power over the WTU finances and running the office. This has led to challenges with nepotism, politics, mismanagement and abuse. By updating the powers of the WTU Executive Board to match the AFT Model Constitution it should create more avenues for checks and balances to manage the spending, hiring and employment in the WTU office.
Why are we doing this?
Empowering Membership
Our current Constitution and Bylaws also does not have provisions enshrining the ability of the membership to vote on the contract and on strike actions. By adding these sections to the bylaws we ensure that our past practices are explicitly stated and protected.