ARTICLE 91 ASSOCIATION OF GENERAL CHAIRPERSONS 1 The Chairpersons of the General Committees in each district, as 2 hereinafter set forth, shall form an Association of General Chairpersons 3 each to function independently of the other, for the purpose o 4 formulating concerted movements relating to wages, rules, and working 5 conditions of transportation service employees in their district. 6 District No. 1 shall include all rail lines in the United 7 States. 8 District No. 2 shall include all rail lines in Canada. 9 District No. 3 shall include all bus lines in the United 10 States and Canada. 11 All General Chairpersons on properties where the combined 12 membership represented by the United Transportation Union is one 13 hundred (100) or more, shall be members of the Association of General 14 Chairpersons in their respective districts as outlined above. Where the 15 combined membership represented by the United Transportation Union 16 on a property is less than one hundred (100) the General Chairpersons 17 on that property shall elect one of their group to be a member of the 18 Association in their respective districts. Members of the Association of 19 General Chairpersons shall attend all meetings of their Association and 20 represent their committees with pay and proper expenses to be paid 21 from the General Fund of the International. 22 The International President shall convene the General Chairpersons 23 during the year 1969 for the purpose of organizing the Association in 24 each district. Each district shall elect, by secret ballot, a Chairperson, a 25 Vice Chairperson, and a Secretary to serve as officers of their 26 Association. 27 Following the reorganization of General Committees in 1971, and 28 quadrennially thereafter, the International President shall convene the 29 Association of General Chairpersons for the purpose of reorganizing and 30 electing officers. 31 Each Association shall adopt by-laws for its special government 32 consistent with the provisions of this Constitution. 33 The Association will be convened by the International President 34 whenever necessary and will be convened by him when a majority of 35 the General Chairpersons within a district of the Association request a --65-- 36 special meeting, provided the requests are uniform in object and 37 purpose and the meeting is limited to subjects over which the 38 Association has jurisdiction. 39 In any general or concerted wage-rules movement, members in an 40 Association cannot withdraw support of a movement which has been 41 approved by a two-thirds vote of the members of an Association, unless 42 sanction thereto is given by a majority vote of eligible members of the 43 Association and approved by the International President. In the event 44 any transportation company refuses to be represented by the 45 conference committee representing the companies in a general or 46 concerted movement, the International President may exclude the 47 General Committee on such company from participation in the 48 movement. 49 A strike may be authorized by the International President in 50 support of a general or concerted wage-rules movement, provided such 51 action is approved by a two-thirds vote of the members in any 52 Association. Such vote may be taken as the International President 53 may direct by mail, wire, or while in session. 54 In any general or concerted wage-rules movement the 55 International President and Assistant President shall appoint a 56 negotiating committee representative of each of the former 57 organizations and crafts represented by them which are involved in the 58 movement. The negotiating committee shall assist in the prosecution 59 of the wage-rules movement as directed by the International President. 60 When in the judgment of the International President and the 61 negotiating committee a final offer of settlement has been received, the 62 offer with the committee's recommendation shall be submitted by 63 referendum to the Membership of the crafts involved in the movement 64 for their acceptance or rejection. Following receipt of the offer of 65 settlement, each General Chairperson shall have fifteen (15) days to 66 submit questions pertaining to the offer. The negotiating committee 67 will, consolidate the submitted questions into a single, uniform list. 68 When the answers to these questions are determined by the 69 negotiating committee and the carriers' representatives, the agreed 70 upon questions and answers will be distributed to the General 71 Chairpersons and made a part of the offer of settlement. 72 A majority of the members voting of each of the crafts to be 73 covered or affected by the terms of the proposed agreement shall be 74 required to ratify the offer of settlement. 75 The terms of the settlement shall be submitted, by the 76 International President, to each Local involved in the movement, in 77 sufficient quantity to permit circulation to the membership, and/or the 78 terms may be mailed to each member in a special edition of the UTU 79 News. Recommendations of the President and/or Negotiating 80 Committee may be included along with a digest or summary of the 81 provisions of the settlement. 82 The Board of Directors shall establish and publish procedures for 83 the conduct of referendum elections which shall thereafter be contained --66-- 84 as an appendix to this Article; guaranteeing each affected member the 85 right-to-vote on wages, rules and working conditions. 86 Voting and tabulation of the results must be completed within 87 twenty-one (21) days from the date the proposal is dispatched or 88 presented by the International President. The final result and 89 tabulation of voting shall be furnished to each Local involved in the 90 movement and shall be printed in the UTU News. APPENDIX: Agreements shall be sent via first-class mail in an envelope marked "Important - Agreement and Ballot Enclosed". The ballot will be a self addressed, postage paid post card that will contain space for the member to print name, local number and railroad employer. |