About Local 1303

CONSTITUTION OF
LOCAL 1303
ARTICLE I
NAME

      The name of this organization shall be the State of Connecticut Municipal Employees Union, Local Number 1303 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO
ARTICLE II
AFFILIATIONS
     This local union shall be affiliated with Connecticut Municipal Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees: the Connecticut State Labor Council of the AFL-CIO.
ARTICLE III
OBJECTIVES
     The objectives of this local union shall be to carry out, on a local basis, the objectives of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.
ARTICLE IV
     Section 1.      All Municipal employees of the State of Connecticut not otherwise within the jurisdiction of any chartered municipal employees union, excluding supervisory employees, are eligible for membership in this local union, subject to the requirements of the Constitution of the International Union.

     Section 2.      Application for membership shall be made on a standard application and checkoff form. Unless such form includes a valid authorization for payroll deduction of dues, the application shall be accompanied by the current month's dues.

     Section 3.      The monthly membership dues of the local shall be one dollar and sixty cents ($1.60) per member plus the amounts required for the payment of per capita tax to the International Secretary-Treasurer in accordance with the provisions of the International Constitution and to Council 4 in accordance with the provisions of the Council 4 Constitution.

     Section 4.      Membership dues shall be payable monthly in advance to the local Secretary-Treasurer and, in any event, shall be paid not later than the fifteenth (15th) day of the month in which they become due. Any member who fails to pay dues by the fifteenth day of the month in which they become due shall be considered delinquent and, upon failure to pay dues for two (2) successive months, shall stand suspended. Provided, however, that any person who is paying his dues through a system of regular payroll deduction shall, for so long as he continues to pay through such deduction method, be considered in good standing.

     Section 5.      A member suspended under the foregoing section may be reinstated to membership in the local on payment of all arrearages or upon payment of a reinstatement fee of $25.00 plus the current month's dues.

ARTICLE IV
MEETINGS
     Section 1.       Regular meeting of the chapters shall be held once each month by each chapter at a time and place to be fixed by the membership of the chapter. Adequate and proper notice of such regular meetings shall be provided.

     Section 2.       Special meetings of a chapter may be called by the local union president, the local union executive board, the chairman of the chapter, or by petition filed with the chairman of the chapter and signed by twenty-five percent of the members of the chapter. Special meetings of a chapter may be called by the International President or his authorized representative. Adequate notice of special meetings shall be provided. All sovereign powers of the chapter shall vest in the regular and special meetings.

     Section 3.      A general membership meeting of the membership of this local shall be held annually in the month of October. All sovereign powers of the local shall vest in the regular and special meetings.

     Section 4.      A special general membership meeting of the membership of this local may be called by the president, a majority of the executive board, or by petition filed with the president and signed by twenty-five percent of the members. A special general membership meeting may also be called by the International President or his authorized representative.

     Section 5.      The local union executive board shall meet four (4) times each year at a time and place to be fixed by the president or by a majority vote of the members of the executive board.

     Section 6.      Special meetings of the local executive board may be called by the president or a majority of the executive board. A special meeting of the executive board may also be called by the International President or his authorized representative

ARTICLE VI
LOCAL UNION OFFICERS AND CHAPTER EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
     Section 1.      The officers of this local shall be: president, vice-president, recording secretary, secretary-treasurer, and five (5) executive board members, and these officers shall constitute the executive board of this union. They shall be elected for a two (2) year term.

     Section 2.      Each chapter shall elect a chapter chairman, a chapter vice-chairman, a chapter treasurer, and a chapter secretary, and they shall constitute the executive committee of the chapter. They shall be elected for one (1) year terms.

ARTICLE VII
NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS
     Section 1.      Nominations and election of officers of this local shall be held biennially and of the chapters shall be held annually. Nominations and elections of officers of this local shall be conducted at the annual general membership meeting in the odd-numbered year, and the nominations and elections of the executive committee of the chapters shall be conducted at the regular meeting of the chapter immediately preceding the annual general membership meeting. At least fifteen (15) days’ advance notice shall be given the membership that nominations and election shall be conducted.

     Section 2.      A nominating committee may be appointed by the president prior to the annual general membership meeting, or elected at the annual general membership meeting. A nominating committee may be appointed by the chairman of a chapter prior to the meeting at which nomination and elections are conducted or elected by a chapter prior to such meeting. But whether or not such nominating committees are used, nominations shall be permitted from the floor.

     Section 3.      To be eligible for office, a member must be in good standing for (1) year immediately preceding the election.

     Section 4.      All matters concerning nominations and elections shall be subject to the provisions of Appendix D, entitled Elections Code, of the International Constitution which is part of this constitution by reference.

     Section 5.      Vacancies in the office of vice-president, recording secretary, secretary-treasurer, or executive board member shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term by a vote of the executive board. In the event the office of president falls vacant, the vice-president shall become president for the remainder of the unexpired term, and the office of vice-president shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term by vote of the executive board.

     Section 6.      Vacancies in the office of chapter chairman, chapter vice-chairman, chapter treasurer or chapter secretary shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term by a majority vote of the membership of the chapter in which such vacancies occur.

     Section 7.      Every officer shall, upon assuming office, subscribe to the Obligation of an Officer, contained in Appendix B of the International Constitution, which is made a part of this constitution by reference.

     Section 8.      All officers, chapter executive committee members and employees shall be bonded in the amount of 10% of the assets handled annually by the local, as per Article IX, Section 21, of the International Constitution.

ARTICLE VIII
DUTIES OF OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE BOARD
     Section 1.    The president shall:
  1. preside at all general membership meetings of this local and of the local executive board;
  2. be a member of all local union committees, except election committees;
  3. appoint all standing committees and all special committees of the local, subject to the approval of the executive board;
  4. report periodically to the membership regarding the progress and standing of the local and regarding the president’s official acts;
  5. be a delegate to all conventions, conference, or other functions where the local is entitled to be represented and shall receive from the local the necessary expenses to attend such functions.

 
     Section 2.    The Vice-president shall:
  1. assist the president in the work of the president’s office;
  2. in the absence of the president or in the president’s inability to serve, preside at all meetings and perform all duties otherwise performed by the president;
  3. upon approval by the executive board, be authorized to act as co-signer of checks drawn on the local funds in place of either the president or secretary-treasurer.

 
     Section 3.

 

    The recording secretary shall:
  1. keep a record of the proceedings of all membership meetings and of all executive board meetings;
  2. carry on the official correspondence of the local except as the executive board may direct otherwise;
  3. perform such other duties as the executive board may require.

 
     Section 4.

 

    The secretary-treasurer shall:
  1. receive and receipt for all monies of the local union;
  2. deposit all money so received in a bank or banks insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation with a separate accounting for each chapter, and money so deposited shall be withdrawn only by check after submission by the chapter of a voucher along with supporting receipts;
  3. prepare and submit the monthly membership report to the International Union office and see that a check is drawn each month in payment of the local's per capita tax to the International Union and to Council 4, and sent to the appropriate financial officer;
  4. on or before March 1st of each year, submit to the International Secretary-Treasurer a statement of assets handled by the local during the previous year on forms to be supplied by the International Secretary-Treasurer;
  5. keep an accurate record of receipts and disbursements and shall, once each quarter submit to the executive board, a quarterly operating statement of the financial transactions of the local, including those of the chapters, for the previous quarter;
  6. issue a quarterly report to the chapter's treasurer of the chapter's account;
  7. act as custodian of all properties of the local union.

 
     Section 5:      The executive board of this union shall be the governing body of the local union except when regular or special meetings of the local union are in session. All matters affecting the policies, aims, and means of accomplishing the purposes of the local not specifically provided for in this constitution or by action of the membership shall be decided by the executive board. A majority of the members of the executive board shall be required for a quorum. The executive board shall cause an independent audit to be made at least once a year and the results reported to the chapters. Payment shall be made to Council 4 for bookkeeping services rendered to the chapter under the direction of the secretary-treasurer.

ARTICLE IX
CHAPTERS
     Section 1:      There may be formed, as organizing efforts require, such new chapters as are deemed necessary and proper. Each member of this local shall be a member of a chapter.

     Section 2:      Officers of a chapter shall be a chapter chairman, a chapter vice-chairman, a chapter treasurer and secretary, and such officers shall be elected in accordance with the provisions of this constitution.
     Section 3.    The chairman of a chapter shall:
  1. preside at all meetings of such chapter and of the chapter executive committee;
  2. be a member of all committees of the chapter;
  3. appoint all standing committees and all special committees of the chapter, subject to the approval of the chapter executive committee;
  4. report periodically to the chapter membership regarding the progress and standing of the chapter and regarding the chapter chairman's official acts.
     Section 4.

 

    The chairman of a chapter shall:
  1. assist the chairman of such chapter in the work of the chapter chairman;
  2. in then absence of the chapter chairman or in the chapter chairman's inability to serve, the vice-chairman shall preside at all meetings and perform all duties otherwise performed by the chapter chairman;.
     Section 5.

 

    The secretary of a chapter shall:
  1. keep a record of the proceedings of all meetings of such chapter and of all executive committee meetings of the chapter; 
  2. carry on the official correspondence of the chapter, except as the executive committee may direct otherwise;
  3. perform such other duties as the executive committee may require.
     Section 6.

 

    The treasurer of a chapter shall:
  1. submit to the secretary-treasurer of the Local a voucher signed by the chairman and treasurer of the chapter with a supporting receipt for reimbursement for expenditures of the chapter;
  2. forward any monies received from sources other than the local secretary-treasurer for deposit in a bank or banks insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation with a separate accounting for each chapter.

 
     Section 7:      The executive committee of a chapter shall be the governing body of the chapter except when regular or special meetings of the chapter are in session. All matters affecting the policies, aims, and means of accomplishing all purposes of the chapter not specifically provided for in this constitution or by action of the membership shall be decided by the executive committee except as provided for in Section 1 above. A majority of the members of the executive committee shall be required for a quorum. The executive committee shall cause an independent audit to be made at least once a year and the results reported to the chapter, the local executive board and the local secretary-treasurer.

     Section 8:      The members of a chapter shall vote and pass on all matters and terms of union contracts and agreements affecting them, or entered into or negotiated on their behalf.

ARTICLE X
MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS
     Section 1:      This local union shall at all times be subject to the provisions or the Constitution of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

     Section 2:     Except to the extent specified in this constitution, no officer or the local union shall have the power to act as agent for or otherwise bind the local union in any way whatsoever. No member or group of members or other person or persons shall have the power to act on behalf of or otherwise bind the local union except to the extent specifically authorized in writing by the president of the local or by the executive board of the local. 

     Section 3:      Robert's Rules of Order, Revised, shall be the guide in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with this constitution and special rules of this local union or of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

     Section 4:      All judicial procedure shall be conducted in accordance with Article X of the International Constitution.

     Section 5:      All members of this local shall receive a copy of the constitution governing this local and of any amendments which may be adopted at any later time.

ARTICLE XI
AMENDENTS
     Section 1:      This constitution may be amended, revised, or otherwise changed only a vote of two-thirds of the members voting on such proposed change, and such amendment, revision, or change shall take effect only upon written approval of the International President.

     Section 2:      Proposed amendments, revisions, or changes to this constitution must be read at a regular or special meeting of each chapter and read and voted on at a subsequent meeting, adequate and proper notice having been given to all the members prior to the date on which the vote is taken.

APPROVED BY:

GERALD W. McENTEE

International President