CONSTITUTION & REGS
CONSTITUTION & BYLAWS
(Adopted March 2005)
ARTICLE I
Name of Association
The name of the association shall be UXBRIDGE TEACHERS' ASSOCIATION, herein referred to as "the Association".
ARTICLE II
Objectives
We the members of this Association in order to fulfill our responsibilities to society and to our profession do hereby adopt the following:
Section 1: General Objectives
a. To maintain and improve the quality of education for all.
b. To uphold high professional standards and to advance the socio-economic well-being of educational employees.
Section 2: Specific Objectives
a. The Executive Board is authorized and directed to establish specific objectives within the framework of the general objectives in Section 1 above. These specific objectives shall be reviewed annually, revised if necessary, and published.
ARTICLE III
Membership
Section 1: Membership in the Association shall be classified as Active, Associate, or Honorary and shall be available to those who pay the prescribed dues.
a. Active Membership shall be available to (Recognition clause from collective bargaining agreement) all professional employees including school nurses, O.T. and P.T., excepting however, the Superintendent of Schools, the Principals and Assistant Principals, the Directors of Finance and Administration, Curriculum and Instruction, Technology, Special and Early Childhood Education, permanent substitutes and every other such employee
The Association shall continue active membership to those members laid off due to reduction in force with reduction in dues of fifty per cent (50%). Such eligibility for active membership shall continue as long as such persons are eligible to be recalled or for three (3) years, whichever is longer.
The Association shall deny membership to an individual who is a member of a negotiating team representing a school board or representing a board of trustees of a higher education institution if such denial is requested by a governing body of an MTA/NEA affiliate in the school district or higher education institution in question.
The Association shall guarantee that no member may be censured, suspended, or expelled without a due process hearing, which shall include an appropriate appellate procedure.
b. Associate Members are those other persons interested in the advancement of the cause of education, who are not eligible for active membership. Applications for said membership shall be made in writing.
c. Retired Members are those former active or associate members who upon retirement apply to the Executive Secretary-Treasurer of the Massachusetts Teachers' Association.
d. Honorary Membership may be conferred by a two-thirds vote of the elected officers or a general meeting of the membership.
Section 2: Active membership shall be continuous until the member leaves, resigns from the Association, or fails to pay membership dues.
Section 3: Adherence to the Code of Ethics of the Educational Profession shall be a condition of continuing membership.
Section 4: The Executive Board by a four-fifths (4/5) vote may suspend from membership any member who has been found in violation of the Code of Ethics of the Education Profession.
Section 5: Only active members as defined in Section 1 of this Article III shall have the privilege of voting and holding office in the association.
a. The membership year of the Association shall be from July 1 to June 30. Any member may elect to be a continuing member. Membership shall then be continued from year to year until death, retirement, or the member cancels the election with a sixty (60) day notice in writing. Current membership lists will be updated by December 31 of each year.
b. The Association shall submit annually to the Massachusetts Teachers' Association, prior to July 1, a list of its officers and addresses, as well as a copy of the bylaws with any changes or amendments made in the preceding year.
ARTICLE IV
Affiliation
Section 1: No person shall be admitted to or be continued as an active member in the Association who is not also a member of the Massachusetts Teachers' Association and the National Education Association.
Section 2: The Association shall submit annually to the Massachusetts Teachers' Association:
a. A list of its officers and their addresses.
b. The names and addresses of all members of an official enrollment form furnished by the Massachusetts Teachers' Association.
c. A statement setting forth all amendments or changes in its Bylaws during the preceding year.
ARTICLE V
Officers
Section 1: The officers of the Association shall be the President, a Vice-President, a Secretary, a Treasurer, and a Membership Chair. In lieu of a President and Vice-President, the association may elect two (2) Co-Presidents.
Section 2: No individual may hold more than one office at a time.
Section 3: Powers and Duties of Officers
a. President:
(1) The President shall preside at meetings of the Executive Board and the general membership.
(2) He/She shall be an ex-officio member of all Association committees except the Nominating Committee.
(3) He/She shall appoint the Chairpersons and members of standing committees and special committees with the approval of the Executive Board.
(4) He/She shall be the Executive Officer of the Association.
(5) He/She shall perform all other functions usually charged to this office.
b. Vice-President:
(1) The Vice-President shall assist the President in his/her duties and complete other duties assigned by the President.
(2) He/She shall perform the duties of the President in case of absence, disability, death, resignation, or upon the request of the President.
(3) He/She shall meet regularly with Committee Chairpersons to discuss committee activities.
(4) He/She shall perform the functions usually ascribed to this office.
c. Co-Presidents:
(1) Co-Presidents shall share the duties and responsibilities of the President and Vice-President equally.
d. Secretary:
(1) The Secretary shall keep accurate minutes of all meetings of the Executive Board and of the general membership meetings.
(2) He/She shall be responsible for distributing the minutes to the general membership in a timely manner.
(3) He/She shall maintain official files, and shall assist the President with the Association correspondence.
e. Treasurer:
(1) The Treasurer shall hold the funds of the Association and disburse them in accordance with budgeted authorization from Executive Board and/or deposit them in the name of the Association in any appropriate financial institution legally authorized to do banking and or investment banking in Massachusetts.
(2) He/Shall bill the membership for all annual dues, collect dues through the membership committee and transmit amount due the Massachusetts Teachers' Association and the National Education Association. Payments shall be made in accordance with a mutually agreed upon schedule between the Massachusetts Teachers' Association and the UTA.
(3) He/She shall maintain a roll of the members.
(4) He/She shall keep accurate account of all receipts and disbursements and shall report to each meeting of the Executive Board.
(5) All disbursements shall be counter-signed by an authorized officer.
(6) He/She shall keep the President and the Executive Board informed of the financial condition of the Association and assist the Executive Board in the drafting of an annual budget.
(7) He/She shall serve as the liaison with the district payroll officer concerning UTA, MTA, and NEA matters.
f. Membership Chair:
(1) The Membership Chair shall conduct the membership drive for all units.
(2) He/She shall maintain a current roll of the members.
(3) He/She shall assist the Treasurer in his/her duties whenever necessary.
Section 4: Terms and Succession
a. The President and Vice-President or Co-Presidents shall serve two (2) years and may run for reelection.
b. The Secretary, Treasurer and Membership Chair shall serve for two (2) years and may run for reelection.
c. In the event of a vacancy in the office of the President, the Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President until the end of the term.
d. In the event of the vacancy in the office of one (1) Co-President, the remaining Co-President shall assume the duties of the President until the end of the term.
e. Should a vacancy occur in the office of the President and the Vice-President or two (2) Co-Presidents simultaneously, the Executive Officers shall appoint a President Pro-tempore until an emergency election can be held.
f. In the event of a vacancy in any other elected office, that vacancy shall be filled by an appointee of the President/Co-Presidents with the approval of the Executive Board until the end of the term.
Section 5: New officers shall be installed on or before July 1 of each calendar year.
Section 6: Removal of an Officer or Elected Representative
a. Whenever a majority of the Executive Board shall agree that an officer is unwilling to fulfill the duties of the office, or has been grossly negligent in his/her duties as defined by these Bylaws, it shall recommend immediately to the general membership that the office be declared vacant. The Executive Board shall call for a general membership meeting within fourteen (14) days of the declaration.
b. If the majority of the general membership present and voting agrees to uphold the recommendation of the Board, the membership shall then elect a replacement to fill the remainder of the term.
ARTICLE VI
Executive Board
Section 1: The Executive Board shall consist of the officers and other elected members. These elected members shall consist of one Building Representative for each site in the system as well as one Steward from each unit represented by the Association.
The Association shall apply the one-person, one-vote principle for representation on the Executive Board and other governing bodies except that the association shall take such steps as are legally permissible to achieve ethnic-minority representation at least proportionate to its ethnic-minority membership.
Section 2: Powers and Duties of the Executive Board
a. Within policies established by the general membership the executive Board shall be responsible for the management of the association and shall carry out policies of the association .
b. It shall report its transactions to the general membership and suggest policies for consideration by them.
c. It shall adopt an annual budget for the operation of the Association. It shall have the accounts reviewed and/or audited annually.
d. It shall establish committees and create policies governing them.
e. It shall set the dues for the Association.
f. It shall approve and set the policy and
resolutions necessary to carry out the programs accepted by the membership.
g. It may call for the removal of an officer or elected representative - see Article V, Section 5.
ARTICLE VII
Building Representatives
Section 1: Voting members in good standing of the Association shall have representation through elected Building Representatives. Each school shall elect one Representative to the Executive Board.
Section 2: Duties and Responsibilities of the Building Representatives:
a. The Building Representatives shall act as liaison for the members in their respective buildings to the Executive Board.
b. They shall advise and assist their constituency concerning contract matters and association programs and services.
c. They shall assist the Secretary with the distribution of association communications to the members of their buildings, in a timely manner.
d. They shall assist the Treasurer and
Membership Chair with the membership drive upon request.
e. They shall act as the primary contact person
in all Professional Rights and Responsibilities cases in their buildings.
Section 3: Terms and Succession
a. Building Representatives will serve for two (2) year terms and may run for reelection.
b. Building Representatives shall take office July 1.
c. If a vacancy should occur for a Building Representative, the President/Co-Presidents shall appoint a replacement until the end of the term. See Article 5, Section 3, Part f.
d. After 3 unexcused meeting absences, the President/Co-Presidents may declare the position vacant and call for an election to fill the remainder of the term or point a suitable replacement.
Section 4: Remuneration of Building Representatives
a. Building Representatives shall be remunerated for their service by receiving their annual dues paid for by the association.
b. Service shall be defined as attendance at two-thirds (2/3) or more of the Executive Board's meetings and general membership meetings. Exceptions may be made in cases of emergency or illness with prior notice given to an officer of the association. There will be no remuneration if more than one-half (1/2) of the meetings are missed.
ARTICLE VIII
Meetings
Section 1: Executive Board
a. The Executive Board shall meet at least monthly during the school year on a schedule to be determined by the Executive Board. Three (3) members of the Executive Board may request additional meetings.
Section 2: General Membership
a. There shall be at least two (2) general meetings each year, which shall be determined by the Executive Board. The Executive Board shall prepare a tentative agenda for each meeting and shall circulate it to all members so that the members will have time to discuss it prior to the meeting.
Section 3: Special
a. Special meetings of the general membership may be held at the call of the President or upon written request to the Executive Board from five per cent (5%) of the membership. Business to come before special meetings must be stated in the call, which shall be sent in writing to each Building Representative for distribution to each member. Business shall be confined to these items.
Section 4: Qurom
a. The majority of the members shall be for quorum for the executive Board and Committees.
b. A quorum for general membership meetings and special meetings shall be twenty per cent (20%) of the total membership.
ARTICLE IX
Committees
Section 1: Organization
There shall be the following standing committees having the specific functions outlined below:
a. They shall have five members selected to represent different groups in the Association and appointed for staggered terms of three years.
b. Each committee, with the approval of the Executive Board, may organize from the membership of the Association special sub-committees and task forces for specific activities.
Section 2: Meetings
Each standing committee shall meet regularly according to a calendar developed by the Executive Board. Special meetings may be called by the Chairperson.
Section 3: Reports
Each committee shall choose a secretary who shall record the activities of the committee. The Chairperson shall report to general membership meetings any action items. He/She shall prepare an annual written report which the Executive Board shall file as part of the records of the Association.
Section 4: Titles and Duties
a. Negotiating Team
(1) Shall negotiate with the school Committee on hours, wages, and working conditions, and other terms and conditions of employment.
(2) With the aid of appropriate committees it shall prepare proposals to be approved by the general membership prior to being placed before the School Committee.
(3) Upon reaching tentative agreement on all matters under negotiation, the team shall prepare and submit its report and recommendations to the members at ratification meeting. Procedures for ratification of an agreement shall be developed by the Executive Board prior to the negotiations and/or should be included in the local association-School Committee contract.
b. Nomination and Elections Committee
(1) No officer or member of the Executive Board may serve on the Nominations and Elections Committee.
(2) The Nominations and Elections Committee shall consist of at least five (5) representatives selected to different groups in the Association.
(3) Members of this committee shall be appointed by the President/Co-Presidents with the advice and consent of the Executive Board.
(4) The nominations procedure for candidates seeking elective office shall be determined by the Nominations and Elections Committee.
(5) The Committee shall be responsible for securing candidates for each of the elective offices.
(6) Anyone who is an active member of the association may be a candidate for any office.
(7) The names of the candidates for elective office together with information about each candidate shall be published no later than two weeks preceding the date of the election.
(8) The Nominations and Elections Committee shall be responsible for conducting annual elections and for meeting the requirements of special elections.
(9) The Association shall conduct all elections with open nominations and a secret ballot.
(10) To be elected, a candidate must receive a majority of the votes cast.
(11) All elections shall be conducted during the first two (2) weeks of April.
c. Scholarship Committee
This committee shall consist of seven (7) appointed members. It shall also include the Treasurer of the Association. This committee shall be responsible for overseeing the Association's Scholarship Fund.
(1) Initiate and plan for appropriate scholarship fund-raising activities with suggestions from and support of the entire Association.
(2) Evaluate scholarship applicants using the appropriate criteria agreed upon by the committee with the approval of the Executive Board.
(3) Annually award scholarships.
(4) Scholarship funds shall be dispersed in the recipient's name when the appropriate requirements have been met.
d. Social Affairs Committee
It shall organize such social activities as may serve the needs of members and promote fellowship within the Association.
e. Sick Leave Bank Committee
This committee shall consist of seven (7) members. Three (3) members shall be designated by the School Committee and four (4) members shall be appointed annually by the Association. This committee shall meet on an emergency basis to evaluate any requests made by staff members to access the days available to them in the Sick Leave Bank following the guidelines supplied by the local Association-School Committee contract.
Section 5: Special Committees
Each year the President/Co-Presidents may appoint such other special committees as may be necessary and shall discharge them upon completion of their duties.
ARTICLE X
Rules and Procedures
Roberts Rules of Order Revised shall be the authority of the Association.
ARTICLE XI
Amendments
These Bylaws may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3 vote of the members present and voting at any regular meeting of the Association provided that copies of the proposed amendments have been sent to all members of the Association at least two (2) calendar weeks in advance of the General Membership Meeting.