Article VI - Bargaining Units
Unit Elections
The election shall be completed and the ballots counted within the same voting period fixed by the Local Election Committee as provided in Article V - Elections, section 1(a).
1. a). Each unit shall hold a meeting during the month of January at which a Nomination and Election Committee shall be elected and shall receive nominations at the meeting and to supervise elections for Unit Chairperson, Vice-Chairperson, Secretary, delegates and alternate delegates to the Representative Council. At least 15 days' notice of this meeting shall be given by steward distribution, website posting, e-mailing, faxing and selected mailing to each unit member. In conducting the election, the committee shall abide by the relevant provisions of Article V. The election shall be completed and the ballots counted within the same voting period fixed by the Local Election Committee as provided in Article V -Elections, section 1(a).
b) Upon the direction of the Executive Committee, the Elections Committee shall make every reasonable effort to implement and supervise workplace and/or electronic balloting for Unit elections.
c) Except as provided in paragraph (b) above, election shall be by mailed-in ballot when less than 20 percent of the unit membership is present and voting. Elections shall be at the Unit Meeting or by mailed-in ballot at the discretion of the meeting when more than 20 percent of the unit membership is present at the unit meeting.
d) Unit delegates shall be certified to the Representative Council by the Unit Secretary.
e) All unit election disputes shall be decided by the Local Election and Referendum Committee.
f) In elections for unit positions, a plurality and not a majority is necessary only to elect.
Special Unit Meetings
2. A special meeting not for the purpose of recall may be called by the Unit Chairperson or Acting Chairperson, but shall be called by the Unit Secretary on receipt of a written petition signed by not fewer than ten percent of the unit membership in good standing at the time of the filing of the petition, but in no case less than five members.
Recall
3. An elected workplace representative may be recalled by the members he/she represents for failing to perform the duties of their office. A recall is initiated by a
petition signed by 25 per cent of the members that the workplace representative represents. The petition must provide specific complaints against the workplace
representative and be submitted to the Local President.
4. The Local President shall notify the workplace representative of the complaints and provide a copy of the petition. The Local Union shall call a special unit meeting with a minimum of seven days’ notice with the sole purpose of addressing the specific complaints identified in the petition. A quorum for a recall meeting shall be 50 per cent of the unit members. A two-thirds majority vote of those present shall be required to recall an elected workplace representative. A workplace representative can face recall only once during his/her term of office.
Unit Secretary’s Duties
3. The Unit Secretary under the direction of the Treasurer shall have charge of the execution of the fiscal provisions of these bylaws as they apply to the members of
his or her unit.
Vacancies and By-Elections
4. Vacancies in the posts of unit officers or delegates to the Representative Council shall be filled by a unit election at the next meeting.
Minutes of Unit Meetings
5. Each unit shall file promptly after each unit meeting, a copy of the minutes of the unit meeting with the Local Secretary.
Honouraria
6. The Local shall pay to each Unit Chair an annual honourarium (paid prorata if necessary) based on the following scale. Full-time compensated Unit Chairs shall not receive the honorarium.
1 – 99 members: $750
100 - 199 members: $1,000
200 - 399 members: $2,000
400 plus members: $3,000
The Local shall pay 50 per cent of the annual honourarium automatically. To receive the remaining 50 per cent, one of either the Chair, Vice-Chair, or elected designates must attend three or more Representative Council meetings annually.