by Jaclyn Pittsley, President and Daniel Harms, VP for Academics –

SUNY Cortland Chapter of UUP’s bylaws are in need of amendment and revision! Our chapter bylaws govern our campus structure and they describe the functions of our local campus organization. The chapter bylaws have not been amended in many years and are seriously out of date.

The UUP bylaws committee, including Daniel Harms, Joe Westbrook, and myself, with a great deal of assistance from Jen Drake and David Ritchie, has been working for several years to amend the bylaws to reflect changes in the UUP Constitution and changes in the Chapter. I offer my thanks for their hard work.

These changes have to occur in order for our union to remain at the forefront of advocacy in these trying times of anti-union sentiment. Our bylaws as amended will now reflect important changes in categories of membership, counting of delegates, and continuing membership, in addition to changes to language and offices.

Please take a look at the highlights of these amendments listed below, and please make it a point to Attend Union Matters on April 1, 2020 in Corey Union Function Room and Vote on the bylaws. All members’ voices need to be heard, and all votes counted.

We need everyone’s help to keep our union functional and prominent in the fight to maintain and improve our terms and conditions of employment.

UUP Bylaws Highlights of Amendments – February 2020

Bylaws Notes

Bylaws brought in line with UUP Constitution and directives from statewide

Names of committees and officers changed

Increasing good governance

Article III, Membership, Section 2 – Categories of Membership

Confirms categories for Contingent Academic and Professional Members.

            Section 3 – Classes of Membership

Adds Contingent and Continuing Membership as categories
States the duration of Contingent Membership as being year-long
Establishes that dues payment is necessary for membership
States the rights of members for attending meetings and participating in elections

Article IV, Section 3 – Meetings

Changes necessary quorum for a meeting to be 5% of the Chapter membership (just to make it easier to convene a meeting)

Article V, Section 1 – Chapter Officers

            Vice President for Contingents becomes Officer for Contingents

Added Officer for Retirees, Membership Development Officer; removed Part-Time Concerns Representative as redundant

            Section 2 – Selection and Term of Office

Establishes that Membership Development Officer and Grievance Officer are nominated by the incoming Chapter President for a two-year term

Establishes that the Executive Board may appoint an officer or hold a special election if no nominee is available or write-in votes don’t reach the threshold;

In case of a vacancy between the chapter elections and June 1, allows the incoming Chapter President to appoint an interim officer until the Executive Board meets.

Establishes presidential succession rules for officers

Section 3 – Duties

Allows the president to conduct Labor/Management meetings, sign checks if the treasurer is unavailable, supervise office staff, and appoint a Parliamentarian

Affirms that the Vice Presidents and Officer for Contingents are delegates

States that the treasurer should keep chapter monies in a bank account, and submit audit packets in a timely manner

Establishes duties for the Officer for Retirees, Membership Development Officer, and Outreach Chairperson

Article VI, Executive Board; Section 1 – Members

            Changes the makeup of the executive board [?]

Section 2 – Duties

Confirms the Executive Board’s role in approving committee appointments and carrying out statewide policy

Lowers the number of appointed offices for which the Executive Board can define duties

Establishes that Executive Board members serve as delegates to the Delegate Assembly

Section 3 – Minutes

Stipulates that minutes shared with Chapter members should be approved beforehand

Article VII – Other Chapter Officers

            Eliminates the alternate delegate, in favor of regular delegates

Establishes that the Executive Board may create only chapter officers who are non-voting, and may define the duties thereof

Article VII – Committees

            Section 1 – Standing Committees

Clarifies which officers may attend Labor Management meetings, with the stipulation that others may be brought at the chapter president’s invitation

Provides membership for Part-Time Labor Management meetings, as well as the Contingent Employment Committee, the Affirmative Action Committee, Grievance Committee, Membership Committee, Outreach Committee, and Environmental Health and Safety Committee, if the chapter chooses to appoint them

Article IX – Chapter Elections

            Section 1 – Chapter Election Dates

            Chapter elections to be held in odd-numbered years, not “every two years”

            Section 2 – Chapter Elections

            Confirms that the Vice Presidents should be elected from their membership

            Clarifies which positions are elected and which appointed

Grants the Executive Board the ability to appoint vacant positions for which no nominee or willing write-in candidate exists

Article X – Recall

Establishes a procedure to remove an officer for neglect, misuse of Chapter funds, or intentional misrepresentation, ending with a chapter vote for removal.

Article XI – Parliamentary Authority

Establishes that Robert’s Rules of Order applies to meetings in cases where the UUP Constitution or Chapter Bylaws are silent

Article XII – Governance

            Section 1 – Construction and Severability

States that the UUP Constitution changes will automatically amend the Bylaws when these conflict

Provides that a copy of revised bylaws should be kept in the chapter office for examination

            Section 2 – Amendment

            Bylaws may be created by a petition sent to the executive board

            A vote on an amendment may be held at a Chapter Meeting and take effect immediately