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.