Constitution & Bylaws

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ARTICLE I
NAME

The name of this organization shall be Multnomah County, Oregon, Employees Union, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO.

ARTICLE II
AFFILIATIONS

This local union shall be affiliated with Oregon Public Employees Council 75 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; the Oregon AFL-CIO; the Northwest Oregon Labor Council, AFL-CIO; and the Northwest Labor Council Retirees, AFL-CIO.

ARTICLE III
OBJECTIVES

• The objective of this local union shall be to carry out on a local basis, the objectives of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, and the mission of the local as listed below:
• To advocate for working conditions, rates of pay, benefits and pensions for our members by negotiating and enforcing strong contracts.
• To build and model workplace democracy and sustain respectful workplace environments.  To confront and challenge when employees are treated without respect.
• To provide excellent service to the public; the best value for the taxpayer dollar.
• To have an inclusive union with members who are engaged in an effective structure.
• To build and support an educated, strong and effective shop steward structure.
• To promote open communication, including the utilization of interactive information sharing technology.
• To be a positive presence in the community where we work, live and play.
• To be informed and active in politics, as they impact workers in both local, state, national, and international issues and campaigns.

ARTICLE IV
MEMBERSHIP AND DUES

Section 1.     All employees of Multnomah County, Oregon and employees of private contractors whose work was previously performed by employees of Multnomah County are eligible for membership in this local union, subject to the requirement of the Constitution of the International Union.

Section 2.    Application for membership shall be made on a standard application form. Unless such form includes a valid authorization for payroll deduction of dues, the application shall be accompanied by the current month’s dues.

Section 3.    The membership dues of the local are currently 1.4 percent of member’s pay collectible per pay period, i.e., as agreed in the Multnomah County/AFSCME Local 88 contract.  The dues shall be based on the base pay of the member and exclude overtime and other differential pay, i.e., shift, lead, bilingual, out of class, or other differentials not listed.  In addition, there shall be a monthly cap of $65 that shall be in effect from January 1, 2008, to July 1, 2009. Contract agencies shall also pay 1.4 percent of members pay per month collectible as agreed with the contracting agency and Local 88.

Section 4.      Membership dues shall be payable monthly in advance to the local treasurer and in any event shall be paid not later than the 15th day of the month in which they become due.  Any member who fails to pay dues by the 15th day of the month in which they become due shall be considered delinquent, and upon failure to pay dues for two successive months may stand suspended.  Provided, however, that any person who is paying dues through a system of regular payroll deduction shall for so long as such person continues to pay through such deduction method, be considered in good standing.

Section 5.    AFSCME Local 88 shall maintain membership of the two (2) delegates to the Northwest Oregon Labor Council Retirees, AFL-CIO.  The Union will actively encourage participation in an AFSCME Retiree Council.

ARTICLE V
MEETINGS

Section 1.    Monthly meetings of this local shall be held from January through November, unless otherwise suspended by a vote of the membership, at a time and place to be fixed by the membership, the local executive board or the president.

Section 2.    Special meetings may be called by the local president, the executive board or by petition filed with the president, and signed by one percent (1%) of the dues paying members of the local; which petition shall call for a special meeting, shall name a date and the items to be discussed which shall be no sooner than fifteen (15) days subsequent to the filing and the president shall issue a call to the members.  Special meetings may also be called by the International President or the authorized representative of the International President.

Section 3.    One percent (1%) of the dues paying members shall constitute a quorum at any regular or special meeting of the local.
ARTICLE VI
OFFICERS, NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS

Section 1.    The officers of this local shall be a president, a vice-president, a secretary, a treasurer, and an executive board composed of members from each of the following sectors:

• Public Safety with up to 5 representatives, comprised of those departments responsible for providing law enforcement and custody services;
• Health and Human Services with up to 5 representatives, comprised of those department that provide public health and human services;
• General Government and Library with up to 5 representatives, comprised of the Library and those departments that provide services not covered by the two preceding sectors;
• Private, non-profit agencies, with 2 representatives.

All executive board members are elected by the membership at large.  This composition of the Executive Board is intended to reflect proportionally the members of the union, and may need to be adjusted to reflect current membership in sectors.  No department shall have two (2) more Executive Board members than any other department in their sector.  All officers and Executive Board members shall be elected for a term of two (2) years in the odd-numbered years.  These seventeen (17) elected members and the four (4) officers shall constitute the local union executive board.

In addition, there shall be two (2) non-voting members of the Board; one (1) appointed Member Action Team (MAT) Coordinator, and one (1) appointed Webmaster.  The three (3) trustees shall be elected to three (3) year terms of office, except that in the initial election, one shall be elected for a one-year term, one for a two-year term, and one for a three-year term.

Section 2.    Nominations shall be made at a regular monthly membership meeting  in September or at a special membership meeting of the local.  At least fifteen (15) days advance notice shall be given the membership prior to the nominating meeting and nominations shall be made from the floor at that meeting. All regular elections shall be held in the month of November.  All elected officers shall be installed immediately upon acceptance of the election committee’s general report.

Section 3.    To be eligible for Executive Board office a member must be in good standing for one year immediately preceding the election and be employed within the jurisdiction of this local union.  Employees who have schedules with regular layoffs shall be considered to be in good standing upon payment of dues at reinstatement.

Section 4.    Officers shall be elected by secret ballot vote and the balloting shall be conducted to afford all members a reasonable opportunity to vote.  At least fifteen (15) days advance notice shall be given the membership prior to the holding of the election.

Section 5.    All matters concerning nominations and elections in this local union shall be subject to the provisions of Appendix D, entitled Elections Code, of the International Union Constitution.

Section 6.    Vacancies in office shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term by vote of the general membership, at the next monthly meeting, as provided by this article.

Section 7.    Every officer shall, upon assuming office, subscribe to the Obligation of an Officer contained in Appendix B of the International Union Constitution.

ARTICLE VII
DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE BOARD

Section 1.    The president shall:

• be the official spokesperson for Local 88 for all matters unless he/she appoints a designee.
• preside at all meetings of the local union and the executive board.
• be a member of all committees except election committee..
• countersign all checks drawn against the funds of the local.
• appoint all Chairs of standing committees and all special committees of the local, subject to the approval of the executive board.
• appoint or terminate all shop stewards, chief stewards, the Member Action Team (MAT) Coordinator, the Webmaster, and the Northwest Labor Press Newsletter Coordinator for the local, with the approval of the executive board.
• report at each General Membership meeting the progress and standing of the local and regarding the president’s official acts.
• serve as delegate to all AFSCME and AFL-CIO conventions.

Section 2.    The vice-president shall:

• assist the president in the work of the president’s office.
• in the absence of the president or in the president’s inability to serve, preside at all meetings and perform all duties otherwise performed by the president.
• be authorized to act as co-signer of checks drawn on the local funds in place of either the president or the secretary-treasurer.
• Serve as Chair of the Political Action Committee.
• serve as delegate to all AFSCME and AFL-CIO conventions.

Section 3.    The treasurer shall:

• receive and receipt for all monies of the local union.
• deposit all money so received in the name of the local union in a bank or banks selected by the executive board, and money so deposited shall be withdrawn only by check signed by two of the following officers:  president, vice-president, treasurer, or secretary.
• prepare and sign checks for such purposes as are required by the constitution or are authorized by the membership or the executive board.
• prepare and submit a monthly financial report to the executive board.
• shall serve as Vice-Chair of the Budget Committee.
• keep an accurate record of receipts and disbursements and shall, once each month, submit to the membership a monthly operating statement of the financial transactions of the local for the previous month.
• act as custodian for all properties of the local union.
• give a surety bond for an amount to be fixed by the executive board of the local union, at the expense of the local union and through the International Union.
• see that any financial reports required by the International Union Constitution to be submitted to the International Union are submitted in accordance with the International Union Constitution.
• prepare all U.S. Department of Labor reports as required.
• serve as delegate to all AFSCME and AFL-CIO conventions.

Section 4.    The secretary shall:

• keep a record of the proceedings of all membership meetings and of all executive board meetings.  Records shall include a vote tally for emergency motions.
• carry on the official correspondence of the local, except as the executive board may direct otherwise.
• perform such other duties as the executive board may require.
• be authorized to act as cosigner of checks drawn on the local funds in place of either the president, the vice-president or the treasurer.
• prepare and submit monthly minutes of the Executive Board and General Membership meetings at the next monthly General Membership meeting for approval by the membership.
• keep electronic and paper copies of all approved minutes in the Local 88 office.
• serve as delegate to all AFSCME and AFL-CIO conventions.
• Serve as Vice-Chair of the Member Action team.

Section 5.    The trustees shall make or cause to be made at least semi-annually an audit of the finances of the local, including the finances concerning any health and welfare, pension, insurance or other benefit programs covering members of the local, and shall report to the membership on the results of such audit.  In an election year (odd numbered years) the trustees shall do an audit after the regular officer election which shall be made available to the executive board and general membership the following January.

Section 6.    The executive board shall be the governing body of the local union except when meetings of the local union are in session. The executive board member is responsible for keeping members in his or her sector informed of the work of the union.  All matters affecting the policies, aims and means of accomplishing the objectives of the local not specifically provided for in the constitution or by action of the membership at a regular or special meeting shall be decided by the executive board.  A report on all actions taken by the executive board shall be made to the membership at the next regular or special meeting.  All actions of the executive board are subject to the approval, or rejection, of the general membership in attendance at that meeting, excepting those matters that have been deemed to be an emergency by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the board members present at that executive board meeting.  A majority of the executive board shall be required for a quorum.

Section 7.    In consultation with the president, executive board members shall take leadership as chair or vice-chair of one of the following committees during their term of office:  budget, political action, constitution and policies, communications, visibility, technology, elections, picnic, and steward education.  Additional committees may be established.

Section 8.    Elected officers and executive board members shall be obligated to attend all regular and special executive board meetings, and all regular and special general membership meetings.  Executive board members shall, in consultation with the chief stewards in their sectors, carry out their duties in a manner that reflects the best interests of those sectors and the union.

Except when necessary to conduct other union business, no officer or executive board member, unless excused for illness or FMLA, work, or scheduled vacation,  shall be absent for more than three (3) meetings during that person’s term of office.  Elected officers and executive board members shall notify the secretary and treasurer at least 24 hours prior to the scheduled meeting of their absence whenever possible.

Section 9.    Trustees shall be obligated to attend all regular and special general membership meetings.  No trustee shall be absent for more than three (3) meetings unless excused per calendar year.  The position shall be declared vacant and the president shall call for nomination and elections to fill the vacancy after three (3) consecutive absences, per calendar year.  Trustees are not required to attend executive board meetings.

ARTICLE VIII
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS

Section 1.    This local union shall at all times be subject to the provisions of the constitution of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Section 2.    Except to the extent specified in this constitution, no officer of the local union shall have the power to act as agent for or otherwise bind the local union in any way whatsoever.  No member or group of members or other person or persons shall have the power to act on behalf of or otherwise bind the local union except to the extent specifically authorized in writing by the president of the local union or by the executive board of the local union.

Section 3.    Shop stewards shall be appointed by the president and shall be obligated to attend all shop steward meetings and all regular and special general membership meetings.  Any shop steward absent for more than three (3) meetings within a one (1) year period, may be subject to removal at the discretion of the president.
Shop stewards are expected to attend on-going steward training offered by the local, Council 75 or the Labor Education Resource Center on a regular basis.
One steward from each department, contracted agencies and elected officials shall be selected to serve as Chief Steward, and shall carry out such duties and responsibilities assigned by the president and approved by the executive board.

Section 4.    This constitution shall be submitted to the International Union following a vote of the general membership.  It shall be reviewed at least once every five years.

Section 5.    Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised, shall be the guide in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the constitution and special rules of this local union or of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

ARTICLE IX
AMENDMENTS

This constitution may be amended, revised or otherwise changed by a majority vote of the members voting on such proposed change and such change shall take effect only upon written approval of the International President.  Proposed amendments to this constitution must be read at a regular or special meeting of the local union and read and voted on at a subsequent meeting of the local union, adequate and proper notice having been given to the membership prior to the date on which the vote is taken.  A written copy of the proposed amendment shall be furnished to every eligible voter at the meeting at which the vote is taken.

APPROVED BY:

Gerald Wm McEntee

GERALD W. MCENTEE
International President

Approval Date:  1/23/2008