ARTICLE 82 GENERAL COMMITTEE OF ADJUSTMENT 1 The Chairperson of each Local Committee of Adjustment under the 2 jurisdiction of a General Committee of Adjustment shall be a member of 3 such General Committee of Adjustment. Local Chairpersons 4 representing yardmasters only, may be members of the General 5 Committee representing yard/switch persons subject to approval of such 6 General Committee. 7 The officers of a General Committee of Adjustment shall be a 8 General Chairperson, one or more Vice Chairpersons, and a Secretary. 9 The officers of a General Committee must hold seniority rights in one of 10 the crafts under the jurisdiction of such General Committee. 11 Each General Committee of Adjustment shall hold a quadrennial 12 meeting in January of 1971. Beginning with this meeting not more 13 than two (2) officers of a General Committee shall be elected from any 14 one craft when such Committee represents only two crafts, and not 15 more than one officer from any one craft when such Committee 16 represents more than two crafts, except by unanimous consent of the 17 full General Committee. 18 If a Chairperson of a Local Committee of Adjustment is unable to 19 attend a meeting of the General Committee, the Vice Chairperson of 20 such Committee shall attend the meeting and represent his/her local, 21 but as such, he/she shall not be eligible for election as an officer of the 22 General Committee, except that of General Chairperson. The absent 23 Local Chairperson shall be eligible for election as an officer of the 24 General Committee of Adjustment. 25 Incumbent officers and members of the General Committee, and 26 any member holding seniority in the craft represented by the General 27 Committee shall be eligible for election to the office of General 28 Chairperson. Only members of the General Committee shall be eligible 29 for election to the office of Vice General Chairperson, or Secretary of 30 the Committee. A General Committee requiring the full-time services of 31 a Vice General Chairperson or Secretary may re-elect such officers, 32 without their being re-elected as Local Chairperson. In such cases 33 these officers may speak but shall have no vote in the General 34 Committee. 35 The officers of a General Committee shall be elected by secret vote 36 of the members of the General Committee during the quadrennial 37 meeting except as otherwise provided herein. 38 The Chairperson of a General Committee of Adjustment may be 39 elected by referendum vote instead of by General Committee vote as 40 provided for in the preceding paragraph if two-thirds (2/3) of the Local 41 Chairpersons under the jurisdiction of a General Committee, prior to 42 August 1 preceding the year of the regular quadrennial meeting of the 43 General Committee, vote for and advise the International President in --56-- 44 writing of their desire to have the Chairperson of that Committee 45 elected by referendum vote. 46 Upon receipt of such request the International President will notify 47 the locals under the jurisdiction of that General Committee that a 48 referendum election for General Chairperson will be held. 49 Each local under the jurisdiction of the General Committee, after 50 giving at least fifteen (15) days prior notice thereof, shall schedule a 51 meeting to be held prior to October 1, at which nominations for General 52 Chairperson will be accepted. 53 Nominations for General Chairperson will only be accepted when a 54 petition is signed by at least five (5) members holding seniority rights in 55 one of the crafts and holding membership in one of the locals under the 56 jurisdiction of the General Committee. The petition shall be presented 57 to the Secretary of the local no later than the meeting scheduled to 58 accept such nominating petitions. 59 The Local Secretary shall certify the names of candidates and 60 forward same to the International President by certified mail no later 61 than ten (10) days after the nominating meeting. The International 62 President shall have prepared ballots placing the name of the 63 incumbent candidate on the ballot first and the names of the other 64 candidates in alphabetical order. The International President shall send 65 a ballot as described in Article 57 to each member entitled to vote no 66 later than October 25. Only members employed under the jurisdiction 67 of a General Committee of Adjustment shall be eligible to vote in the 68 referendum election for the Chairperson of such Committee. The 69 International President shall request a list of eligible voters to be 70 prepared by the General Secretary and Treasurer showing the names 71 and addresses of the members paying General Committee assessments 72 to that General Committee for the month of August preceding the 73 election. 74 The International President shall arrange for the General Secretary 75 and Treasurer to receive and tabulate the ballots. The envelope 76 addressed for the return of such ballot shall be addressed to the 77 General Secretary and Treasurer and shall not be opened prior to the 78 date set for tabulation. 79 The General Secretary and Treasurer will tabulate the ballots 80 between November 10 and November 15 and shall notify the General 81 Chairperson and candidates the date set for tabulating the ballots. 82 Each candidate, or his/her representative, may witness the tabulation at 83 his/her own expense. 84 The General Secretary and Treasurer shall immediately notify the 85 International President, General Chairperson, candidates, and each 86 local the results of the election. 87 The candidate receiving a majority of the votes cast shall be 88 declared elected. If no candidate receives a majority on the first ballot, 89 all but the two candidates receiving the largest vote will be dropped 90 from the ballot, and a second election will be held in the same manner. 91 In case of a tie, the General Secretary and Treasurer shall be governed --57-- 92 by the applicable provisions of Article 57. 93 A defeated General Chairperson shall not sign system agreements 94 unless they are also signed by the Vice Chairperson and Secretary of 95 the General Committee. A defeated General Chairperson shall not close 96 out pending cases unless concurred in by the Vice Chairperson and 97 Secretary of the General Committee. 98 The cost of a referendum election for General Chairperson shall be 99 considered as General Committee expense under Article 84, and such 100 expense shall be paid by the General Secretary and Treasurer from the 101 appropriate General Committee fund. 102 The Chairperson of each General Committee of Adjustment shall 103 convene the full Committee between January 1 and May 31 following 104 the completion of the quadrennial elections for Local Committees of 105 Adjustment, or as soon thereafter as elections are completed, and 106 quadrennially thereafter. Actions of the General Committee shall be 107 retroactive to January 1 of that year. In the event the Chairperson fails 108 to convene the Committee, the Committee shall be convened by the 109 International President on request of one or more locals. 110 When the Chairperson had been elected by referendum vote, the 1ll results of the vote shall be announced on the first day of the 112 quadrennial meeting and the Chairperson elected shall immediately 113 assume the office. 114 A General Chairperson shall have no vote in General Committee 115 meetings except in case of a tie vote on matters other than elections, 116 the Chairperson will cast the deciding vote. In case of a tie vote in a 117 Committee election after five (5) secret ballots the Chairperson shall 118 then be permitted to vote. 119 Each General Committee of Adjustment may adopt its by-laws and 120 procedures, establish salaries, set the amount of General Committee of 121 Adjustment dues, and such other matters necessary for its operation, 122 subject to the provisions of this Constitution. 123 The International President may grant dispensation for the 124 establishment of separate General Committees of Adjustment for the 125 various crafts represented by the United Transportation Union. Each 126 such Committee shall be maintained by dues and/or assessments levied 127 upon the members under the jurisdiction of such Committee. 128 If less than three (3) locals are located on a property, the General 129 Chairperson shall be elected by referendum vote. 130 A General Chairperson may not serve as Local Chairperson, except 131 when there is only one local on a property the Local Committee of 132 Adjustment shall constitute the General Committee of Adjustment. 133 In Bus Department Locals where there is one Local on a property, 134 General Committees of Adjustment and/or officers representing the 135 United Transportation Union, shall not revise or amend general or 136 system schedule rules unless authorized to do so by a majority of votes 137 cast by the members of the craft under the jurisdiction of the General 138 Committee. 139 The Secretary of the General Committee shall promptly notify the --58-- 140 International President in the event of a vacancy in the office of 141 Chairperson. The International President shall order an election, to be 142 held in accordance with the provisions of this Article, to fill the vacancy. 143 In the interim the Vice General Chairperson designated by the 144 Committee at the time of his/her election will fill the vacancy. 145 Vacancies in the office of Vice General Chairperson or Secretary of 146 the General Committee shall be filled by a majority vote of the General 147 Committee, while in session, or by secret ballot conducted by mail as 148 follows: The Chairperson will set a period in which any member of the 149 Committee may nominate another member of the Committee to fill the 150 office. When the period for making nominations has expired, the 151 Chairperson shall prepare ballots, placing the names of the candidates 152 in alphabetical order. He/she shall furnish ballots to each member of 153 the Committee, with notification as to the date on which the ballots 154 must be returned for tabulation. On the date specified, the 155 Chairperson, with the assistance of at least two members of the 156 Committee or two officers of the nearest local, shall tabulate the ballots 157 and certify the results to the Secretary of the General Committee. The 158 Secretary of the General Committee shall report the results of the 159 election to the locals and members of the General Committee. 160 General Chairpersons or Executive Committee of General 161 Committees of Adjustment may voluntarily consolidate their committees 162 under such terms and conditions as they deem appropriate subject to 163 approval by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the members of each General 164 Committee of Adjustment involved and the International President. 165 In the event 25% of the members working under the jurisdiction of 166 a General Committee of Adjustment petition the Secretary of the 167 General Committee to circulate a referendum ballot on a proposition of 168 discontinuing the officers of their committee and consolidating their 169 committee under the officers of another committee holding similar 170 jurisdiction on the same property, the Secretary will prepare a ballot on 171 the proposition to be circulated among the members involved by the 172 Secretaries of the locals involved. Upon approval by a majority vote of 173 the membership represented by such committee, a referendum ballot 174 will be circulated among the membership represented by the other 175 General Committee of Adjustment involved in the consolidation. Upon 176 approval by a majority vote of the membership under the jurisdiction of 177 such other committee, the officers of the committee being dissolved 178 will, within sixty (60) days, make an orderly transfer of the property, 179 funds, and files to the committee having jurisdiction. 180 If as a result of the referendum vote it is the desire of the 181 membership represented by the two General Committees to 182 consolidate, a referendum election will be held as provided in this 183 Article to elect a General Chairperson from the two incumbent General 184 Chairpersons. The defeated General Chairperson will become an 185 assistant General Chairperson of the consolidated General Committee 186 and shall be placed in no worse position with respect to salary or 187 compensation. His/her term of office as assistant will expire at the --59-- 188 same time as the General Chairperson at the next quadrennial meeting. 189 Nothing in this Article shall prevent a General Committee from 190 providing a residence property settlement, moving expense, and 191 transfer allowance for a General Chairperson who is required by the 192 consolidated General Committee to relocate his/her residence as a 193 result of a consolidation of General Committees. |