Structure
DUTIES OF
LOCAL UNION OFFICERS
Sec. 1. The L.U. President shall be held responsible for the strict enforcement of this Constitution and the rules herein and the L.U. bylaws. He shall be held personally liable and subject to penalty by the I.P. for failure to conduct orderly meetings or failure to carry out the responsibilities and duties imposed upon him herein.
He is empowered and shall do as follows:
(a) Preside at all meetings of the L.U. and see that each meeting is promptly adjourned not later than 11 p.m. prevailing time. When he deems it necessary to preserve order, he shall appoint members to aid him in doing so and in carrying out his rulings.
(b) He shall promptly have removed from the meeting room any intoxicated member, any disturber, or anyone not conducting himself in an orderly way, or anyone who disturbs the harmony or peace of the meeting, or who fails promptly to abide by his rulings or the action of the meeting. He shall suspend from attendance at any meeting any member who commits any of these offenses, for the balance of such meeting, and he shall see to it that such member shall not be allowed to reenter the meeting for the remainder of the meeting. He may repeat the sentence of suspension at any subsequent meeting at which an offender persists in such conduct.
(c) He shall decide all questions of order according to the parliamentary rules stated herein, and have the deciding vote in case of a tie, and see that all assessments are paid and all penalties enforced.
(d) He shall appoint all committees, act as an ex-officio member of all committees, appoint all delegates to central, trades, and political councils or bodies, with which the L.U. is affiliated. Where the L.U. has a business manager, then he and any of his assistants shall be named by the president as delegates to the Building and Construction Trades Council and to the Metal Trades Council; and he shall appoint the registrar as delegate to conferences of bodies on political education and activity with which the L.U. is affiliated. The president shall consult and cooperate with the business manager (where the L.U. has one) on all appointments.
(e) He shall see that all committees perform the duties assigned to them within a reasonable time. He shall promptly remove any committee member not performing his duties and appoint another.
He shall see that the registrar promotes political education and activity as determined by the L.U., keeps such records as are found to be necessary to encourage all members to register and vote, and keeps the membership informed on candidates worthy of support and pending legislation of vital importance to the country, the community, and the members of the L.U.
(f) He shall either appoint an auditing committee of three members, or he or the L.U. Executive Board, as the L.U. decides, shall employ a public accountant to audit the books and accounts of the L.U. every three months, and he shall inspect the bank book or books of the treasurer to see that L.U. moneys turned over to the treasurer have been properly and promptly deposited in the name of the L.U.
(g) He shall see that all funds of the L.U. are deposited in a reputable bank or banks in the name of the L.U., subject to withdrawal by check signed in the name of the L.U. and countersigned by the president and treasurer, and see that no disbursements are made except on an order countersigned by the R.S. and himself after action of the L.U. However, no action of the L.U. is necessary to pay regular or standing bills such as rent, salaries, and payments due the I.S.T.
(h) He shall notify in writing any bank, or all banks, in which the L.U. makes deposits, that the L.U. empowers the I.P. to stop withdrawal of any L.U. funds when in the judgment of the I.P. such action is necessary to protect the L.U. and its members. He shall notify such bank or banks that they are to honor and abide by any notice from the I.P. to stop withdrawals should the occasion arise. He shall send to the I.S.T. a copy of such letter or notice to any bank or banks to be made a matter of record.
(i) He shall see that the amount of bonds on the L.U. officers and employees is sufficient to protect the L.U. against any loss. The minimum bond shall be $2,500, and the bonds are to be made through the I.O.
(j) He shall cooperate with the business manager of the L.U., if the L.U. has one, and shall not work in conflict with him. Where the L.U. has no business manager, the duties normally performed by the business manager shall be performed by the president, who is then both president/business manager. The president shall keep accurate statistics, or see to it that such statistics as required by the I.P. are kept by the F.S. or person designated, and shall cooperate fully with the Research and Technical Services Department of the I.B.E.W.
He shall perform such other duties as are prescribed herein, or may be assigned to him by his L.U. when such duties are not in conflict with this Constitution and these rules.
Sec. 2. The vice president shall assist the president in the discharge of his duties and shall fill his place in case of the president's absence and perform such other duties as are required by this Constitution and the bylaws of the L.U.
Sec. 3. The R.S. shall keep correct minutes of each meeting of the L.U., answer all correspondence in accordance with instructions given him by the L.U. or the president, make out all orders on the treasurer for the payment of authorized hills, notify the I.S.T. of all changes in officers giving names and addresses, and perform such other duties as are directed by the president or required by this Constitution and the bylaws of the L.U.
Sec. 4. The F.S. shall keep such books and records, and issue such receipts, as are required or approved by the I.S.T. He may, when necessary and when approved by the L.U., employ an assistant or assistants. He shall be responsible for all moneys collected by the L.U. until such funds are turned over to the treasurer or deposited in the L.U.'s bank account without delay. When he deposits any L.U. funds, he shall furnish the treasurer with the bank record of all such deposits not later than the close of the month. He shall make known to the L.U. the receipts received at such time as the L.U. decides. He shall mail to the I.S.T. the per capita report, and the money due, by the 10th of the month, unless special arrangements with the I.S.T. are made. (The L.U. shall be responsible to the I.S.T. for such payments.) If the F.S. fails to do this as required, the L.U. may be assessed an amount determined appropriate by a policy developed by the I.S.T. He shall keep a record of each member, the full name and address, and notify the I.S.T. of all suspended or expelled members.
Sec. 5. The F.S. of each Railroad L.U. shall also collect all moneys and fees due Railroad System Councils, and forward these to the council secretary on or before the tenth (10th) of the month. He shall make reports on official triplicate forms provided by the I.S.T., sending one to the council secretary, one to the I.S.T., and keeping one for the L.U. records. He shall also send on or before the tenth (10th) of the month, a list giving the complete standing of members, showing members admitted, those leaving with traveling cards, suspended, expelled or dropped from the rolls, and those not working.
Sec. 6. The F.S. shall submit his books and records for inspection or audit when called upon by the I.P., the I.S.T., the L.U. president, or Executive Board.
Sec. 7. The treasurer shall receive from the F.S. all moneys collected or the bank record of money deposited in the L.U.'s bank account and give proper receipt for the same. He shall deposit all L.U. moneys turned over to him by the F.S. in a bank or banks designated by the L.U. in the name of the L.U. He shall make no disbursements without sanction of the L.U., except for payments of regular or standing bills such as rent, salaries and payments to the I.S.T. which do not require a vote of the L.U. and upon an order or warrant signed by the president and the R.S. He shall make an itemized statement to the L.U. as and when required by the L.U. or the president. He shall submit his books and records for inspection or audit when called upon by the I.P., the I.S.T., the L.U. president or Executive Board.
Business Manager
(Where a Local Union has one)
Sec. 8. The business manager shall be the principal officer of the L.U. and shall be held responsible to the L.U. and to the I.P. for results in organizing his jurisdiction, for establishing friendly relations with employers, and for protecting the jurisdiction of the I.B.E.W. It shall be his responsibility to keep accurate statistics, or to see that such statistics as required by the I.P. are kept, and shall cooperate fully with the Research and Technical Services Department of the I.B.E.W. The business manager or his designee shall serve as a permanent member of the negotiating committee and serve as a trustee on all trust funds of the L.U. provided for in the collective bargaining agreements. He shall attend all meetings of the L.U. Executive Board and have a voice but no vote. He shall have such authority and perform such other duties as are provided in this Constitution or may be provided for in the L.U. bylaws.
Sec. 9. The L.U. Executive Board shall meet between regular meetings of the L.U. It shall have the power to take any action that the L.U. can take, and which should be taken prior to the next regular meeting of the L.U. Matters referred to the board by the business manager, or any of his assistants, or the general chairman of a Railroad Council, shall take precedence over all other matters before the board.
Sec. 10. A quorum of the board shall consist of the majority of its members.
Sec. 11. The board shall see that all members, officers, or others who are not entitled to remain in the board meetings, shall retire after they have been heard and submitted their business to the board. When a board member is directly interested or involved in any case before the board, he shall retire.
No board member shall sit in a case which affects his own employer, or which involves a member working for the same employer. In such case the board member shall be disqualified and the president of the L.U. shall appoint a substitute or substitutes. If the president is a member of the board and is disqualified, then the vice president shall appoint a substitute or substitutes. If the vice president is also disqualified, then the substitute or substitutes shall be named by the remaining board members. That portion of this Paragraph which refers to an employer shall not apply to those L.U.'s where at least seventy-five percent (75%) of the membership is in the employ of one employer.
Sec. 12. The Executive Board shall act as the trial board, hear all charges, and try all members, except officers and representatives of L.U.'s, Railroad Councils, and System Councils, for any violation of this Constitution, or the bylaws and working rules of the L.U. (See Article XXV).
The board may reopen and reconsider any case or cases when it feels the facts or circumstances justify doing so, any time within thirty (30) days from the date decision was rendered, and it shall do so when directed by the I.V.P. or I.P.
Sec. 13. The board shall submit a report of its actions and findings to each regular meeting of the L.U. for approval, except that no approval or disapproval is to be made or action taken by the L.U., nor is any discussion to be allowed when the board reports on the cases of members charged with violations of this Constitution, or the bylaws and working rules of the L.U.
Sec. 14. The Executive Board shall cooperate fully with other officers and the representatives of the L.U. to the end that the interests of the L.U. and its members may be properly protected and advanced. The board shall perform such other duties as are outlined in this Constitution or as may be provided for in the bylaws of the L.U.
Sec. 15. The Examining Board is to examine all applicants for membership to determine their qualifications for the trade, except for those selected as apprentices under provisions of the collective bargaining agreement. They shall examine such qualifications of members as provided in Article XIX of this Constitution.
The Board shall meet at least quarterly for the examination of applicants when there are applicants to be examined. The Board shall retain all records of examinations given for at least two years.
The report on the results of all examinations shall be furnished to the Executive Board and the L.U. by the Examiners.