Agenda Item #16

ASSOCIATION OF FLIGHT ATTENDANTS-CWA, AFL-CIO

FORTY SIXTH BOARD OF DIRECTORS MEETING

APRIL 9 – APRIL 11, 2018

ATLANTIC CITY, NEW JERSEY

SUBJECT:    Election Time Lines – Shortened (Article VIII.C & Section I.G.)

STATEMENT OF QUESTION:

Should the timeline for elections be revised to provide less time between election closing and assumption of office?

SOURCE AND DATE SUBMITTED:       Strategic Planning Committee – March 9, 2018

BACKGROUND INFORMATION:

The purpose of the discussion was to determine if election Count Dates should be closer to the actual start of the term of office.

This change would provide the flexibility to begin the election process at a later point, so that the Count Date is closer to the actual start of the Term of Office.

While this change would maintain a 30 day notice at the conclusion of the election, it would tighten up the front-end start of elections.  An important point to note is that this change would have no effect on the duration of the Term of Office.

It was recognized that there needs to be some “transition time” between the Count Date and the start of the term.  Two weeks was considered too short to prepare, but the current 2-3 months was considered much too long as little gets done.  A 30-day period was considered sufficient to accommodate both outgoing & incoming Officers.

In a situation where the incoming Officer wants additional assistance from the outgoing, then the outgoing Officer can be asked to assist during the start of the new administration.

PROPOSED RESOLUTION:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that are all sections within Article VIII that pertain to the time line in Local Officer elections be amended as follows:

ARTICLE VIII – Nomination and Election of Officers

C. Local Council Officers and CWA Convention Delegates

1. Nomination Procedures

a. No later than one hundred and fifty (150) days before the start of the term of office, the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union shall cause nominating ballots, commitment to serve statements and cover letters to be mailed to all active members of all Local Councils within the United States scheduled for election as provided in Paragraph 3. of this Section. For all Local Councils located outside of the United States the time frame shall be two hundred and ten (210) days before the start of the term of office. The International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union shall notify the Local Council President thirty (30) days prior to distributing said nominating ballots.

For newly organized carriers, the nominating ballots, commitment to serve statements and cover letters shall be mailed to all active members of Local Councils no later than sixty (60) days following the appointment of Temporary Local Council Officers.  Every effort should be made to ensure that at least 50% of the Flight Attendants have become members.

b. Nomination procedures shall be conducted by secret ballot.

c.  (1) Each active member in good standing may nominate one (1) candidate for the office of President, Vice President and Secretary.

(2)  The member shall be responsible for determination of that member’s nominee’s commitment to serve prior to nomination.

d. Nominating ballots, executed by active members in good standing, shall be sent to the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union prior to the count date specified on said nominating ballot.

e. Nominating ballots of active members in good standing shall be certified and tallied under the supervision of the Ballot Certification Committee at the International Office.

f.     (1.) The Ballot Certification Committee shall determine a candidate’s commitment to serve as an elected Officer by any one (1) of the following:

           (a) Receipt of a commitment to serve card with the nomination ballot.

           (b) Written notification prior to the count date.

           (c) Checking the indicated block on the transmittal envelope.

(2) If a commitment to serve has not been indicated as outlined in C.1.f.(1) above, the AFA-CWA Membership Services Department will contact the nominee through email, phone call(s), and regular mail letter requesting a commitment to serve statement, with the exception that no email, phone calls(s), and regular mail letter will be sent to a candidate with less than two (2) nomination votes.  Verbal confirmation upon receipt of email, phone call(s), and regular mail letter, confirmed in writing, may also serve as notification of a candidate’s commitment to serve.

(3) The International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union shall cause the names of all nominees who received at least two (2) nomination ballots and who have indicated their commitment to serve to be placed on the official Local Council election ballot.

2. Election Procedures

a.    (1) No later than ninety (90) days before the start of the term of office, the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union shall cause election ballots to be mailed to all active members of those Local Councils within the United States scheduled for elections as provided in Section 3. below. For all Local Councils located outside of the United States, ballots will be mailed one hundred and twenty (120) days before the start of the term of office. The election ballot shall list the names of the nominees for each Local Council office in alphabetical order. Each active member in good standing may vote for one (1) candidate for each Local Council office and the successful candidate for each office shall be that eligible candidate receiving the greatest number of election votes, with no requirement that the successful candidate receives a majority of the valid ballots returned. Nothing in this Constitution and Bylaws shall prohibit the write-in and election of an eligible member for Local Council office. Such election shall be conducted by secret ballot.

(2) Local Council Officer election ballots executed by the active members in good standing of each Local Council shall be returned to the International Office no later than sixty (60) thirty (30) days before the start of a term of office, or before a date established by the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union. Ballots shall be validated and tallied under the supervision of the Ballot Certification Committee. It shall certify the election results and notify the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union, who shall promptly telephone and e-mail, if available, a copy of such certification to the successful candidates and post this certification on a page of the International Office website. Additionally, the International Secretary-Treasurer will ensure that the current Local President receives a copy of this information for posting on a local bulletin board and website, as applicable. Additionally, the International Secretary-Treasurer will arrange for an e-mail be sent to all members of the respective Council, if their email address is known. All nomination and election ballots and the transmittal envelopes in which they were received, shall be retained at the International Office for at least the duration of the terms of office for which the balloting was conducted.

(3) In cases where ties develop in the election process, the two (2) or more candidates who are tied shall participate in a runoff election by a mail or electronic ballot that will be held as soon as practicable after the initial balloting is completed.

(4) In the event no eligible member is elected as Local Council President, Vice President or Secretary, the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union shall immediately arrange for additional balloting for such office.

b. The election of Local Council Officers shall be completed and the successful candidates notified of their election by the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union no later than the first day of the month preceding fifteen (15) days prior to the term of office.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Section I.G.1.e. be amended as follows:

e. In-Person Meeting: No later than thirty (30) fifteen (15) days prior to the start of the new administration, a joint meeting will be held between the outgoing LECP/MECP and the incoming LECP/MECP. During this meeting a review of all administrative issues and a complete accounting of the Union’s assets will be provided by the outgoing LECP/MECP to the incoming LECP/MECP. Special attention will be given to briefing the newly elected officers on the status of all outstanding grievances.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Section I.G.2.b. be amended as follows:

b. Union Property: A full accounting and inventory list of all union property assigned to that LEC/MEC will be supplied to the newly elected officers by the current officers no later than thirty (30) days prior to the start of the term of office. These items as applicable shall include, but not be limited to:

2018 COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATION FORM

Agenda Item              16

Committee                 6

Subject:  Election Timelines – Shortened (Article VIII.C & Section I.G.)

 The Committee recommends the resolution be adopted as amended:

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that are all sections within Article VIII that pertain to the time line in Local Officer elections be amended as follows:

ARTICLE VIII – Nomination and Election of Officers

C. Local Council Officers and CWA Convention Delegates

1. Nomination Procedures

a. The International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union shall notify the Local Council President thirty (30) days prior to distributing said nominating ballots. For newly organized carriers, the nominating ballots, commitment to serve statements and cover letters shall be mailed to all active members of Local Councils no later than sixty (60) days following the appointment of Temporary Local Council Officers.  Every effort should be made to ensure that at least 50% of the Flight Attendants have become members.

b. Nomination procedures shall be conducted by secret ballot.

c. (1) Each active member in good standing may nominate one (1) candidate for the office of President, Vice President and Secretary.

(2). The member shall be responsible for determination of that member’s nominee’s commitment to serve prior to nomination.

d. Nominating ballots, executed by active members in good standing, shall be sent to the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union prior to the count date specified on said nominating ballot.

e. Nominating ballots of active members in good standing shall be certified and tallied under the supervision of the Ballot Certification Committee at the International Office.

f. (1.) The Ballot Certification Committee shall determine a candidate’s commitment to serve as an elected Officer by any one (1) of the following:

(a) Receipt of a commitment to serve card with the nomination ballot.

(b) Written notification prior to the count date.

(c) Checking the indicated block on the transmittal envelope.

(2)  If a commitment to serve has not been indicated as outlined in C.1.f.(1) above, the AFA-CWA Membership Services Department will contact the nominee through email, phone call(s), and regular mail letter requesting a commitment to serve statement, with the exception that no email, phone calls(s), and regular mail letter will be sent to a candidate with less than two (2) nomination votes.  Verbal confirmation upon receipt of email, phone call(s), and regular mail letter, confirmed in writing, may also serve as notification of a candidate’s commitment to serve.

(3)  The International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union shall cause the names of all nominees who received at least two (2) nomination ballots and who have indicated their commitment to serve to be placed on the official Local Council election ballot.

2. Election Procedures

a. (1)  The election ballot shall list the names of the nominees for each Local Council office in alphabetical order. Each active member in good standing may vote for one (1) candidate for each Local Council office and the successful candidate for each office shall be that eligible candidate receiving the greatest number of election votes, with no requirement that the successful candidate receives a majority of the valid ballots returned. Nothing in this Constitution and Bylaws shall prohibit the write-in and election of an eligible member for Local Council office. Such election shall be conducted by secret ballot.

(2)  Local Council Officer election ballots executed by the active members in good standing of each Local Council shall be returned to the International Office no earlier than sixty (60) days and no later than sixty (60) thirty (30) days before the start of a term of office, or before a date established by the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union. Ballots shall be validated and tallied under the supervision of the Ballot Certification Committee. It shall certify the election results and notify the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union, who shall promptly telephone and e-mail, if available, a copy of such certification to the successful candidates and post this certification on a page of the International Office website. Additionally, the International Secretary-Treasurer will ensure that the current Local President receives a copy of this information for posting on a local bulletin board and website, as applicable. Additionally, the International Secretary-Treasurer will arrange for an e-mail be sent to all members of the respective Council, if their email address is known. All nomination and election ballots and the transmittal envelopes in which they were received, shall be retained at the International Office for at least the duration of the terms of office for which the balloting was conducted.

(3)  In cases where ties develop in the election process, the two (2) or more candidates who are tied shall participate in a runoff election by a mail or electronic ballot that will be held as soon as practicable after the initial balloting is completed.

(4)  In the event no eligible member is elected as Local Council President, Vice President or Secretary, the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union shall immediately arrange for additional balloting for such office.

b. The election of Local Council Officers shall be completed and the successful candidates notified of their election by the International Secretary-Treasurer of the Union no later than the first day of the month preceding fifteen (15) days prior to the term of office.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Section I.G.1.e. be amended as follows:

e. In-Person Meeting: No later than thirty (30) fifteen (15) days prior to the start of the new administration, a joint meeting will be held between the outgoing LECP/MECP and the incoming LECP/MECP. During this meeting a review of all administrative issues and a complete accounting of the Union’s assets will be provided by the outgoing LECP/MECP to the incoming LECP/MECP. Special attention will be given to briefing the newly elected officers on the status of all outstanding grievances.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that Section I.G.2.b. be amended as follows:

b. Union Property: A full accounting and inventory list of all union property assigned to that LEC/MEC will be supplied to the newly elected officers by the current officers no later than thirty (30) fifteen (15) days prior to the start of the term of office. These items as applicable shall include, but not be limited to:

(remainder of this is Section is unchanged)

Signature:      Erica Levy, Committee Chairperson

Action Taken by the Board:            

Voice   X           Division of the House            Roll Call      

_______Adopted         Date:       4/10/18         Time: 6:37 pm

___X__ Adopted as Amended

_______Not Adopted

_______Tabled

_______Recommitted to Agenda Committee

_______Withdrawn