Washington
Corrections United
Promoting legislation to improve
Public Safety in Washington
Bylaws |
Washington Corrections United Article 1 The name of this organization is Washington Corrections United and may be referred to as Corrections United or "WSU”. Article 2 WSU is a voluntary, non-profit, unincorporated professional organization of individual public safety employees, their labor organizations and others and is not affiliated with any specific political party or labor organization. The purpose of Washington Corrections United is to promote improvements to the safety, security and well-being of our members, facilities and communities by working collaboratively with our members, facilities and communities and with both local and state government. WSU shall act as a representative and liaison for our membership with our states legislature and elected officials. WSU shall encourage public safety employees and others to understand the nature and actions of their government, as to political issues, records, officeholders and candidates for elective office and their affect on public safety. WSU shall encourage professional, productive relationships between our members and our states legislators. WSU shall promote and strive for the improvement of government by encouraging and stimulating public safety employees and others to take a more active and effective part in governmental affairs. WSU shall assist public safety employees, their labor organizations and others in organizing themselves for more effective political action and in carrying out their civic responsibilities. WSU shall promote professionalism of our states public safety employees in all their endeavors. WSU shall publish useful information for our membership and community related to public safety. WSU shall not promote, participate in or encourage any changes to labor organization representation or "raiding activities". WSU shall do any and all things necessary or desirable for the attainment of the purposes stated above. Article 3 WSU may accept financial support in the form of gifts, grants, donations, contracts, in-kind contributions and dues. Contributions to WSU shall be subject to approval by the Executive Board and such funds shall be disbursed at its discretion. Approval by a simple majority of the Executive Board is necessary for the disbursal of funds for political action. Article 4 Membership shall consist of and be available to any public safety employee, members of their immediate family, labor organizations supporting them, agencies, associations and others that have an active interest in and commitment to promoting improvements to public safety, security and the well-being of our members, facilities and communities by working collaboratively with our membership, employers, facilities, communities and with both local and state government. Regular Membership shall be open to anyone employed in the public safety career field in a city, county or state facility or organization whose primary duty is to provide public safety services. Regular membership is generally not open to anyone that could be considered "upper management" or employers. Associate Membership shall be open to any person not qualified for regular membership and may be granted by approval of the Executive Board. Revocation of Membership may be made by majority vote of WSPSEC’s entire Executive Board for cause or not. Membership Dues The group discount rate shall be $20.00 and will be granted to any labor organization that sponsors greater than 75% of its members, memberships. An application for the group discount rate shall include a complete and current list of all members of that labor organization. Dues shall be set annually by the Executive Board for each category of membership and may not be more than 5% of the largest member labor organizations annual membership dues. The annual membership dues are the primary funds used to accomplish the goals of the Coalition and may not be raised substantially greater than may be expected to keep the treasury solvent while pursuing the goals of the Coalition. The fiscal and membership year shall be January 1 through December 31 of each calendar year. Any member whose dues have not been paid on or before April 1 shall be considered delinquent and not in good standing. Failure to pay dues within 30 days of becoming delinquent shall cause the membership to expire. Dues, where applicable, are payable upon application for membership and are good for the remainder of that year, the entire following year and due again annually on the 1st of January thereafter. Example, an individual joins and pays their dues in July of 2010. Their membership is good for the remainder of 2010, all of 2011 and dues are due again on the 1st of January, 2012. The Executive Board is tasked with ensuring that all organizations meet the intent of this clause. Article 5 The Executive Board, or “Board”, shall have general supervision and control over the affairs and funds of the Coalition and shall have authority to act in an official capacity on behalf of the membership, except as otherwise stated herein. The Board shall consider and report all proposed measures for the benefit of the membership and the general welfare of the Coalition. The Board shall direct all expenditures from funds of the Coalition. The Board shall have no authority to financially encumber the membership beyond the extent of secured funds. The Board shall establish all policies and activities of the Coalition. The Board shall adopt ways and means for the purpose of advancement of the Coalition. The Executive Board has the authority to override any veto made by the President by unanimous vote of the entire Board, less the President. The Executive Board shall be comprised of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and three At Large Executive Board Members. The general "Officers" of the Coalition shall be the President, Vice-President, Secretary and Treasurer. All members of the Executive Board must hold at least Regular Memberships and with the exception of the initial appointments must have done so for a minimum of three years.. A "quorum" shall consist of greater than one half of the Executive Board including either the President or Vice-President. In the event that an expansion of the Executive Board is ever made, the total shall remain an odd number. The order of elections and appointments to the Executive Board shall be from At Large Executive Board members to Treasurer to Secretary to Vice President to President. There shall be an Administrative Team within the Executive Board composed of the President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and one At Large Executive Board Member elected by the Executive Board. The Administrative Team shall consider matters referred to it by the Executive Board and report all findings and recommendations to the Board. The Administrative Team shall also have the power to transact regular business of WSPSEC between the meetings of the Executive Board, provided that its actions are not in conflict with the policies of WSPSEC and the Executive Board. Vacancies created by the death, disqualification or resignation of any Executive Board member, Coalition Representative or committee member shall be filled by appointment, of the Executive Board for the balance of the unexpired term. Any Executive Board member who is absent without reasonable excuse, as determined by the Board, from three consecutive meetings of the Board shall be considered as tendering resignation from the Board and is subject to replacement as stipulated above. Executive Board members shall be compensated for their efforts and time, minus travel time unless preapproved, on behalf of the Coalition at the hourly rate of $29.00 an hour. Any work completed outside a meeting shall be preapproved and documented. Falsification of documentation and/or theft of any Coalition assets may be persecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Compensation may be adjusted by approval of a majority of the entire Executive Board. At no time shall compensation be greater than the hourly base wage of any individual at the "Officer" level in any member organization. The Board at its discretion may appoint an Assistant Treasurer. The Board may appoint a Sergeant at Arms on either a temporary or annual basis to serve at any or all meetings of the Coalition to maintain order, time speakers, act as receptionist or assist the Secretary facilitate online communications with the membership during regular meetings. The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Committee and shall be an ex-officio member of all committees. The President has the authority to veto any vote or election of the Board, Administrative Team or Committee. The President shall serve as a member of the Executive Board and Administrative Team. The President shall appoint all committee chairmen and may also appoint other committee members or defer such appointments to the respective committee chairmen. The President shall be elected and appointed by the six other members of the Executive Board to serve a term of two years, beginning January 1st of even years, without limit to succession. The President, with the exception of the initial appointment, must have served the Coalition successfully on the Executive Board for one full term. The Vice-President shall serve as President in the absence of the President. The Vice-President shall serve as a member of the Executive Board and Administrative Team. The Vice-President shall assist the President, Secretary and Treasurer in the performance of their duties, as directed by the President. The Vice-President shall be elected and appointed by the six other members of the Executive Board to serve a term of two years, beginning January 1st of odd years, without limit to succession. The Vice-President, with the exception of the initial appointment, must have served the Coalition successfully on the Executive Board for one full term. The Secretary shall perform such duties as are customarily performed by the secretary of a committee or as prescribed by the Executive Board. These duties shall include but not be limited to: Serve as a member of the Executive Board and Administrative Team. Document roll call for all meetings of the coalition. Take or cause to be kept minutes of the proceedings of each meeting of the Coalition and retain an original set in a permanent file. Record or cause to be recorded public testimony by or on behalf of WSPSEC in a digital format for the membership. Forward all funds collected for the Coalition to the Treasurer. Maintain necessary correspondence and retain copies in a permanent file and provide copies as needed. Release all records, correspondence, equipment, funds and other property of the coalition to their successor within ten days of the termination of their office. The Secretary, with the exception of the initial appointment, must have served the Coalition successfully on the Executive Board for one full term or as a Regular member for a minimum of three years. The Secretary shall be elected and appointed by the six other members of the Executive Board to serve a term of two years, beginning January 1st of odd years, without limit to succession. The Treasurer shall perform such duties as prescribed by the Executive Board to include but not be limited to: Serve as a member of the Executive Board and Administrative Team. Serve as custodian of all funds of the Coalition. Collect all dues, contributions and other funds of the Coalition. Deposit Coalition funds in a bank of their choice, upon approval of the Executive Board and issue checks for approved expenditures. Disburse all monies of the Coalition in accordance with the instructions and direction of the Executive Board. Maintain full and accurate accounts of the Coalition's financial activities, including accurate and up to date ledgers of all income and expenditures with supporting documents for all transactions. Prepare financial statements and provide a written financial report at all regular meeting of the Executive Board and at any other reasonable time upon request of any regular member in good standing. Prepare, sign and submit all reports and/or forms to the proper authorities required by law or directed to be filed by the Executive Board. All checks shall be signed by both the Treasurer and President, except that upon approval of the Executive Board, the President may waive signing such checks. Maintain a current roster of the membership in a data base. Produce an updated membership roster for all Executive Board meetings. Produce "dues notice" letters advising members of their expiration at least two months in advance. Release all records, correspondence, equipment, funds and other property of the Coalition to their successor within ten days of the termination of their office. The Treasurer, with the exception of the initial appointment, must have served the Coalition successfully on the Executive Board for one full term or as a Regular member for a minimum of three years. The Treasurer shall be elected and appointed by the six other members of the Executive Board to serve a term of two years, beginning January 1st of even years, without limit to succession. At Large Executive Board Members Three At Large Executive Board Members shall be appointed by the Officers of the Executive Board to serve terms of two years, beginning January 1st of odd years, without limit to succession. At Large Executive Board Members, with the exception of the initial appointments, must have served the coalition in the capacity of Coalition Representative for a minimum of two years. The Assistant Treasurer shall assist the Treasurer in the discharge of their duties and perform other duties assigned by the Executive Board from time to time. The Assistant Treasurer shall serve at the pleasure of the Executive Board and will not become a member of the Executive Board by virtue of the appointment. The Assistant Treasurer shall be compensated for their efforts and time, minus travel time unless preapproved, on behalf of the Coalition at the hourly rate of $29.00 an hour. Any work completed outside a meeting shall be preapproved and documented. Falsification of documentation and/or theft of any Coalition assets may be persecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Compensation may be adjusted by approval of a majority of the entire Executive Board. At no time shall compensation be greater than the hourly base wage of any individual at the "Officer" level in any member organization. The Webmaster shall create and maintain a professional website that represents the goals and mission of WSPSEC. WSPSEC's website shall serve as a means of communicating with its membership. The Webmaster shall serve at the pleasure of the Executive Board and will not become a member of the Executive Board by virtue of the appointment. The Webmaster shall be compensated for their efforts and time, minus travel time unless preapproved, on behalf of the Coalition at the hourly rate of $29.00 an hour. Any work completed outside a meeting shall be preapproved and documented. Falsification of documentation and/or theft of any Coalition assets may be persecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Compensation may be adjusted by approval of a majority of the entire Executive Board. At no time shall compensation be greater than the hourly base wage of any individual at the "Officer" level in any member organization. Article 6 Coalition Representatives shall facilitate communications between the general membership and the Board. Coalition Representatives shall advise the Board and actively participate in all Board meetings. Coalition Representatives shall make every effort to attend all Executive Board meetings. Coalition Representatives shall encourage active participation of their members in the political process. Each member labor organization that sponsors 100% of their members regular memberships is authorized one Coalition Representative per 100 members. For example, a labor organization of 375 members shall have three Coalition Representatives. Smaller labor organizations that sponsor 100% of their members’ regular memberships shall get one Rep up to that 100 member requirement. For example an organization consisting of 73 members shall have one Coalition Representative. Labor organizations shall select, elect or appoint their Coalition Representatives in whatever manner works best for their labor organization. All Coalition Representatives must hold at least Regular Memberships. Coalition Representatives shall be compensated for their efforts and time at Coalition meetings at the hourly rate of $29.00 an hour. Any work completed outside a meeting shall be preapproved and documented. Falsification of documentation and/or theft of any Coalition assets may be persecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Compensation may be adjusted by approval of a majority of the entire Executive Board. At no time shall compensation be greater than the hourly base wage of any individual at the "Officer" level in any member organization. Committees WSPSEC shall have such committees as the Board determines are necessary and desirable for carrying out its purposes and objectives. The chairman and members of all committees shall be appointed by the President, except where the President has deferred appointment of committee members to the committee chairmen. Members of such committees need not be Coalition members, except that each committee shall include at least one Coalition member appointed by the President. Committee members that are coalition members must remain in good standing. Failure to remain in good standing shall preclude any member from continued committee participation. The President may appoint ad hoc committees for special tasks such as membership, legislative, training or any other purpose as needed to further the goals of the Coalition. Article 7 Any Executive Board member or Coalition Representative may be removed from position for malfeasance, nonfeasance of office or for unexcused failure to attend three consecutive Board meetings. An excused absence shall be determined by the Executive Board based upon cause which would tend to prevail over the attendance requirements. Action to remove an appointed official from position shall be taken upon a majority vote of the entire Executive Board, minus the individual being taken action on if from the Board. Any member in good standing may bring charges against an Executive Board member or Coalition Representative in a meeting of the Executive Board. The Executive Board shall conduct a hearing into the charges and may hear testimony for and against the accused. Since the Board is without authority to impose legal sanctions, legal counsel shall not be heard, although the accused shall have the right to have Coalition members in good standing consult with them during the hearing. The decision of the Executive Board shall be final except that by majority vote of the Board; may reconsider the case at a later date upon receipt of new information. Article 8 The Coalition shall hold an annual general membership meeting. Special meetings of the Executive Board may be called by the President or upon the request of four members of the Board. Each member must be notified in writing, email or phone at least five working days in advance of the meeting. All meetings of WSPSEC shall be open to all members including those of its committees. All regular members have the right of discussion on any matter. All members have five minutes to speak and then must yield to the next speaker and must wait until everyone else that desires to speak has been afforded the opportunity to do so. If no one else desires to speak, the President may authorize the speaker to continue for an additional five minutes. Meetings shall be conducted in a professional, orderly and businesslike manner following parliamentary procedures listed below. Robert's Rule of Order, any edition, shall NOT be used to conduct meetings of the coalition or conduct any of its business. All cell phones and personal electronic devices shall be placed in a silent mode during all coalition meetings. Conduct of Meetings The President, or Vice-President in their absence, shall declare the meeting open at the scheduled start time if there is a quorum and Secretary present. Any quorum requirements listed above are not changed so any business requiring specific quorum requirements must be rescheduled for the next Executive Board meeting. Executive Board members and Coalition Representatives may attend the meeting via phone or online if they are unable to travel to the scheduled meetings due to extenuating circumstances. Record the names of those not present. List the names of those members that formally notified the Board that they would be unable to attend the meeting. Review, amend and approve the previous meetings minutes. It is not appropriate at this time to indulge in debates on decisions which were made at the previous meeting. Anyone who wishes to change a motion made in a prior meeting shall wait until the same subject arises in the general business of the current meeting or raise it in the part called "Any Other Business." Old Business Any reports, pieces of information or other matters of substance that were requested at the previous meeting are debated and a vote is taken on the appropriate action to take. Correspondence All correspondence that has been sent to the meeting is presented, debated and a course of action is decided. If correspondence sent to the meeting is considered offensive, the meeting can vote on a motion, "not to receive" it. Alternatively, the meeting can decide that the correspondence should be "received and lie on the table." This means it will not really be dealt with. It is effectively in limbo until such time in the future that it is "taken from the table" and discussed. Reports Reports prepared for the meeting are presented and debated and if desired a course of action will be determined and instituted. General Business Items listed on the agenda are debated. General business items are announced singly by the President and a discussion or debate follows each one. Motions that suggest methods of resolving issues are put forward and to a vote. Once the motions receive a simple majority as defined in our Bylaws, they become resolutions. Amendments to a motion may be put forward. Only after the amendments are debated and voted upon can the revised motion be brought to a vote. Any Other Business When all items on the agenda have been debated, the President may call for items not listed in General Business. It’s at this point, that members are able to raise issues they feel are important. These include any items which were not listed on the agenda. No extremely important or complex issues should be raised unannounced during this part of the meeting. If an urgent matter must be dealt with by the meeting, the President should be informed before the meeting begins. A revised agenda can then be drawn up in the time that remains before the meeting is due to begin. If the Chairperson feels that any of the issues brought up for discussion are too complex or troublesome, he may call for another meeting to discuss the issue or alternatively, put it on the agenda for the next scheduled meeting. Close of Meeting Once all the issues have been put forward and discussed, the President advises members of the date and time of the next meeting. The meeting is now officially closed. Parliamentary Procedures A "motion" is a formal request or statement and must be submitted in writing on a motion form. There is no requirement for a "second" but a "second" may be made if desired. A "motion to amend" is a request to change a motion. If a motion hasn’t been voted on yet, a motion to amend will postpone the vote until the merits of the motion to amend have been debated and resolved. The original motion may then be amended by its sponsor or not and then voted on. A motion may not be amended without the approval of its sponsor. A "resolution" is a motion that has passed by a majority vote of the Board. To "table" a motion, issue or action is to place it in "limbo" or on hold until such time as it is reintroduced to the Board. Executive Board members of WSPSEC may not abstain from votes of the Board unless there is an established conflict of interest. Executive Board members are expected to conduct the business of the Coalition. Article 9 These Bylaws may be amended by a majority vote of the entire Executive Board at a regularly scheduled meeting of the coalition provided the proposed amendment has been presented to the full membership at least 30 days prior to that meeting. Presentation shall be made via the Coalition’s website. Article 10 All members of the Executive Board of WSPSEC are expected to maintain confidentiality regarding its operations with the exception of informing its membership of normal, everyday operations. All members of the Executive Board of WSPSEC shall be required to sign a confidentiality agreement with Washington State Public Safety Employee Coalition. The confidentiality agreement is as follows: Board members who are removed by the President for violations of the confidentiality agreement shall have the right of appeal to the WSPSEC Board. The decision of the WSPSEC Board shall be final and not subject to further appeal.
|
|
|
|
BYLAWS
Article 1
Name
Article 2
Purpose