In order to meet the standards of the Landrum-Griffin statute, UUP has no choice but to change its procedures for electing delegates to the 2008 and 2009 NYSUT and 2008 AFT conventions. UUP’s election procedures for its internal chapter and retiree elections will remain the same.

Following the advice of legal counsel, UUP in a letter to members dated Dec. 4 said that “since NYSUT and AFT include locals from private institutions, the unions’ election procedures for convention delegates must meet the standards of the Landrum-Griffin statute. As a general proposition, delegates from a local are to be nominated and elected at-large by the Inservice members of the local. UUP’s constitution defines Inservice members as Regular members.”

The bottom line: Retired members of UUP may be nominated, elected and serve as UUP delegates to affiliate conventions, but may not nominate candidates or vote in the election. All nominators must be Regular members of UUP.

Also, since these delegates must be nominated and elected at-large from the local (UUP is AFT Local 2190), UUP affiliate election procedures can no longer provide for Chapter Representative delegates.

The letter was published in its entirety in the December 2006 issue of The Active Retiree, the union’s newsletter for retired members.

For more information, contact UUP Secretary Eileen Landy at elandy@uupmail.org or (800) 342-4206.