ARTICLE XVI- THE GENERAL COUNCIL
Section 1.
(a) The General Council meets in regular session every even-numbered year on dates fixed by the Board within the State of Oregon.
(b) A special session may be convened:
(1) On call of the President, with the approval of the Board upon at least ten (10) days' written notice to each General Council delegate.
(2) On written demand of two-thirds (2/3) of the locals, addressed to the President and within not less than thirty (30) days. In either case, the call to a special session shall specify the subjects on which action by the General Council is sought.
Section 2.
(a) The delegate roster of the General Council consists of:
(1) Delegates from the locals.
(2) Directors-elect and Assistant Directors-elect.
(3) Past Presidents.
(4) Members of the Board.
(5) Assistant Directors.
(6) Delegates from the Retiree Local.
(b) Eligibility for this membership roster is limited to active and semi-active members or retired members who were active members at the time they retired or had their active status reinstated by the Board in accordance with Article II, MEMBERSHIP, Section 4, Retiree Membership, of the SEIU Local 503, OPEU Bylaws.
(c) Delegates will serve a two (2)-year term. Alternates who become delegates at General Council will become delegates of record for the two (2)-year term.
(d) Current Board members (Directors, Assistant Directors and the Retiree President) shall attend General Council as Board Delegates. Board–elect members (Director-elects, Assistant Director-elects, and the Retiree President-elect) shall attend as Board-elect delegates. Where a member is both a seated Board member and a Board-elect member, the member shall attend General Council as a current Board Delegate.
Section 3. Representation.
(a) Local Representation. Subject to the right of every local to a minimum of one (1) delegate, representation in the General Council is accorded to each local on the basis of one (1) delegate for each one hundred (100) members or major fraction thereof. The number of delegates to which a local is entitled shall be determined by the most recent SEIU Local 503, OPEU Headquarters' monthly Membership Report prior to the deadline for notification of delegate strength or by the average annual membership of the previous twelve (12) months available, whichever is higher.
(b) Past Presidents. Past Presidents of the Union who are active members or who are retired members and were active members at the time they retired or have had their active status reinstated by the Board in accordance with Article II, MEMBERSHIP, Section 4, Retiree Membership, of the SEIU Local 503, OPEU Bylaws are permanent delegates to General Council. They have all delegates' rights and privileges.
Section 4. Accreditation. A local delegate is accepted as a member of General Council upon presentation and acceptance at the regular session and/or special session of General Council with credentials signed by an officer of his/her local (i.e., President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer). Statewide Officers, Directors, Assistant Directors, and the Retiree Local President are accepted as members upon presentation and acceptance of credentials signed by the SEIU Local 503, OPEU President or Secretary-Treasurer.
Section 5. Voting.
(a) Franchise. Each person who is a voting member of the General Council is entitled and limited to a single vote on each issue, regardless of number of positions held.
(b) Proxy. There is no proxy voting at General Council.
(c) Quorum. A quorum at the General Council is present if two-thirds (2/3) of the delegates are present, provided one-half (1/2) of all the locals are represented.
Section 6. Resolutions.
(a) Resolution Process.
(1) The object of the resolution process is to seek a plan for solving problems for which no satisfactory plan of solution exists, to express a view not previously expressed to date, or revise the Union's position on a particular economic or social concern which directly or indirectly affects members of the Union. Plans of solution and views expressed shall be compatible with the general welfare and within the purpose of the Union. Resolution sponsorship is an indication of the endorsed need to solve a problem, not necessarily an endorsement of the proposed solution; or the endorsed need to express a view, not necessarily an endorsement of the view expressed. Sponsorship also means that no satisfactory solution or expressed view can be found by any action other than General Council's.
(2) Resolutions may be authored by any member. Resolutions should be in the form outlined by the Resolutions Review Committee. Resolutions that are proposed amendments to the Union’s Constitution and/or Bylaws must refer to the specific portions amended with words to be struck in brackets and new words to be inserted underlined. Local Officers are responsible to provide assistance.
(3) Resolutions may be presented at local meetings to seek sponsorship. The local may either endorse or reject sponsorship. In the event that the local does not endorse the resolution, the author of the resolution may, after having obtained the signatures of fifty (50) active members, present it to the Resolutions Review Committee. Resolutions written by a Standing Committee of the Union are sent directly to the Resolutions Review Committee within the same time limits provided in Section 6(a)(4).
(4) Resolutions must be presented to the Resolutions Review Committee at least ninety (90) days before General Council. The Board may submit resolutions up to one month before General Council.
(5) Other late resolutions will not be accepted unless the subject matter is of such an emergency nature that it could not have been submitted in a timely manner. Decision as to the acceptance of late resolutions will be the responsibility of the Resolutions Review Committee. The submitting parties may appeal such a decision to the Board.
(6) No member’s resolution will be denied because of a technicality and/or format.
(b) Duties of Resolutions Review Committee.
(1) The Resolutions Review Committee shall meet and review resolutions submitted in a timely manner so that resolutions will be included with the first mailing of delegate registration packets.
(2) Resolutions accepted by the committee will be edited prior to submission for General Council. The editing process shall not change the object of any resolution.
(3) Resolutions go to legal staff, to the legislative staff for comment, and to the Union Finance Committee for a cost estimate.
(4) The committee will return resolutions, which are duplications of existing policy resolutions, together with a reference to where this matter has previously been taken care of.
(5) After submission deadline, the President will recommend assignment of the finalized resolutions to General Council committees for committee hearing and action. Resolutions will be printed for inclusion in delegate packets.
The original date of submission to Resolutions Review Committee is the controlling date. In the event a resolution is returned to the sponsor for further review and/or action, no late resolution penalty shall apply.
Section 7. Officer Installations. On the last day of the regular session of the General Council, the newly elected Directors, Assistant Directors, and the Retiree Local President shall be installed. The President may designate the person or persons whom the Union invites to administer the oaths of office and conduct the installation.
Section 8. Expenses. The authorized expenses of members of the General Council, occasioned by their attendance at any session of the Council, are paid by the Union.
Section 9. Voting Between Sessions.
(a) A vote on an issue may be required from the General Council between sessions by either the Board or by an initiative petition signed by 20 percent (20%) of the active membership or endorsed by 30 percent (30%) of the locals. When a vote is required by the General Council between sessions, the Board shall formulate the question and shall set a time for distribution and return of written ballots containing the question. Voting shall be by those persons entitled to vote as delegates if a special session were called.
(b) The Executive Director shall distribute ballots to those persons entitled to vote, together with directions for voting, and any available supporting or opposing arguments pertinent to the question. Tally of votes and announcements of results shall be made by the Secretary-Treasurer.
Section 10. General Council Committees.
(a) Regular General Council Committees. The following General Council committees are authorized: Employee Representation, Membership Affairs, Retirement, Employee Benefits, Constitution and Bylaws, Union Operations, Economic and Social Policy/International Affairs.
(b) Procedural and Special General Council Committees. Other authorized General Council committees include: Credentials, Rules, and General Council Planning. There shall be other General Council committees as each Board of Directors or the General Council may from time to time determine to be necessary and authorize.
(c) Appointment of Committee Members.
(1) The President, subject to confirmation by the Board, shall appoint the members of all General Council committees and designate the chairpersons thereof. The members of these committees shall be members of the General Council; with the following exceptions:
a. Members of the Credentials Committee may be appointed from the membership-at-large, including retired members of SEIU Local 503, OPEU;
b. Members of the Resolutions Review Committee shall be appointed from delegates who attended the previous General Council and shall be appointed at least six (6) months prior to General Council.
(2) Nominees for any statewide office (Union President, Vice President, Secretary-Treasurer, Executive Director) shall not serve as chairpersons' of any General Council committees.
(d) The General Council Planning Committee shall serve as the General Council Critique Committee and shall be appointed by the President. The committee receives suggestions on improving General Council, reviews such suggestions, and reports its findings and recommendations to the Board within ninety (90) days after the conclusion of General Council.
(e) The Credentials Committee receives proof of election and passes upon the eligibility of each delegate to the General Council.
(f) The Rules Committee meets before the convening of General Council and proposes rules to be adopted by the Council at its first session. The committee may be called upon during the Council to assist the Parliamentarian in the interpretation of rules.
(g) Committee Handling of Resolutions. The remaining General Council committees hear, consider, and make recommendations to the Council regarding resolutions referred to them by the Resolutions Review Committee, the President, or the Council.
(1) A committee may, by two-thirds (2/3) vote after open debate, elect to hold in committee any resolution assigned to it. These committees shall, after all resolutions have been debated and voted upon in committee, publish a list of resolutions assigned to it and the action taken on them. This list will clearly indicate the recommendation or "held in committee" and be distributed to all delegates.
(2) The General Council may, by simple majority, vote to call a resolution from committee for discussion by the Council delegates during the discussion of other resolutions from that committee or during newbusiness.
Section 11. The President of any General Council or Special General Council shall appoint a parliamentarian whose sole duty shall be to keep the chairperson advised of proper parliamentary procedure and to advise the chairperson in the form of rulings on parliamentary questions raised during the General Council. The person selected to serve in this capacity shall do so to the exclusion of any other General Council or Special Council office or job.
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Scott
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"An intractable problem can only be resolved by stepping beyond conventional solutions." — Ozymandias