SECTION 10 – NOMINATION, ELECTION AND INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS, COMMITTEE MEMBERS, AND REPRESENTATIVES
(a) Nominations
(1) Nomination
Nominations can be send to:
cupe40election@gmail.com or at our October GMM meeting
s for Officers will be received at the General Membership Meeting held in the month of May. Further nominations will be accepted at the General Membership Meeting in the month of June, followed by elections of said positions.
Nominations for Committee members and representatives will be received at the General Membership Meeting held in the month of December. Further nominations will be accepted at the General Membership Meeting in the month of January, followed by elections of said positions.
(2) Nominations will be accepted from members in attendance at the nomination meeting. Members not able to be in attendance at the nomination meeting(s) must provide a form of non verbal communication of intent of accepting a nomination. Acceptance of said nomination shall be received and acknowledged by any executive officer in attendance. Nomination to be approved will be read out in a form of a motion.
(3) To be eligible for nomination, the nominee must have been accepted into membership and continue to be a member in good standing.
(Articles B.8.1, B.8.2 and B.8.3)
(4) To be eligible for election as an Officer, a member must have attended at least six (6) of the previous ten (10) General Membership Meetings . Each candidate will receive a maximum of three (3) minutes to explain why they feel they are suitable to run for the position they have been nominated for.
(5) To be eligible for election as a committee member or representative, a member must have attended at least three (3) of the previous ten (10) General Membership Meetings.
(6) A member may accept nomination for a position while holding office in any position. If successful in the election, their resignation from their current position will take effect at that time.
(7) No member will be eligible for nomination if they are in arrears of dues and/or assessments.
(b) Elections
(1) The President, Recording Secretary, Sergeant-at-Arms, Part-Time Cleaner Representative, and Representative from Highfield are elected in even years.
The Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer, Chief Shop Steward, and Representative from Caretaking are elected in odd years.
The Alberta Education Employees Committee Representatives, CUPE Calgary District Council Representatives, Joint Occupational Health and Safety Representatives, and Anti-Privatization/Political Action Committee are elected in even years.
The Anti-Harassment/Anti-Racism Committee, Health and Wellness Committee Representatives, and Calgary and District Labour Council Representatives are elected in odd years.
- CUPE Calgary District Council representatives must be current CUPE Local 40 executive members sit on this committee.
(2) At a membership meeting on Election Day, the President will, subject to the approval of the members present, appoint an Elections Committee consisting of a Chief Returning Officer and assistant(s). The committee will include members of the Local Union who are neither Officers nor candidates for office. The Elections Committee shall have full responsibility for voting arrangements and shall treat information submitted to it in connection with its responsibilities as confidential. The National Representative assigned to the Local Union shall serve as an advisor to the committee when requested by the Local Union.
(3) The Elections Committee will determine the form of the ballot and ensure that sufficient quantities are made available in good time to the Chief Returning Officer. Voting software that ensures the anonymity of voters will be used for meetings that include virtual platform.
(4) The Chief Returning Officer will be responsible for issuing, collecting, and counting ballots. The Chief Returning Officer must be fair and impartial and see that all arrangements are unquestionably democratic.
(5) The voting for Officers will take place at the General Membership Meeting in June. The voting for Committee members and representatives will take place at the General Membership Meeting in January.
(6) The votes will be by secret ballot.
Voting to fill one office will be conducted and completed, and recounts dealt with before balloting may begin to fill another office.
(7) A majority of votes cast will be required before any candidate can be declared elected, and second and subsequent ballots will be taken if necessary, to obtain a majority. On the second and subsequent ballots, the candidate receiving the lowest number of votes in the previous ballot will be dropped.
(8) In the event of a tie vote, a second and subsequent ballot(s) will be taken if necessary, until a candidate receives a majority of votes cast and can be declared elected. In the event the tie vote persists, subsequent ballots may be deferred to the next membership meeting.
(9) When two or more nominees are to be elected to any office by ballot, each member voting will be required to vote for the full number of candidates to be elected or the member’s ballot will be declared spoiled.
(Article 11.4)
(10) Any member may request a recount of the votes for any election and a recount will be conducted if the request is supported, in a vote, by at least the number of members equal to the quorum for a membership meeting as set out in Section 6(c).
(11) All election complaints by members will be submitted in physical written form to the Chief Returning Officer as soon as possible but in no circumstances will a complaint be valid if it is filed later than seven days after the election. The Chief Returning Officer in conjunction with the Elections Committee will investigate the complaint and issue a ruling as soon as practical and report the ruling to the very next regular membership meeting.
(c) Installation of Officers
(1) All duly elected Officers shall be installed at the meeting at which elections are held; or within 90 days under special circumstance; and shall continue in office for two (2) year or until a successor has been elected and installed. Special circumstances will be reviewed by the executive board for approval and direction.
(Article B.2.4)
(2) All newly elected Officers at the June meeting will take office effective July 1st.
(3) The terms of office for Trustees shall be so that one serves for a period of three (3) years, one for two (2) years, and one for one (1) year, as laid down in Article B.2.4 of the CUPE National Constitution. Each year thereafter, the Local Union shall elect one (1) Trustee for a three (3) year period. No member who has been a signing Officer for the Local Union is eligible to run for Trustee, until at least one (1) full term of office has elapsed.
(4) The term of each committee member or representative shall continue for two (2) years.
(5) The Oath of Office to be read by the newly-elected Officers is:
“I, _______________________, promise to perform the duties of my office, as set out in the Constitution and laws of the Canadian Union of Public Employees, faithfully and to the best of my ability for my term of office. As an Officer of the Union, I will always promote the harmony and dignity of its sessions by counsel and example. I also promise to turn over all property of the Union to my successor at the end of my term.”
(Article 11.6(b))
(d) By-elections
Should an office fall vacant for any reason, the resulting by-election should be conducted as closely as possible in conformity with this section. The term of office for any position filled through a by-election will be the term that the vacated position was initially elected to fulfill and will be effective at the end of the General Membership Meeting of the election.
SECTION 16 – DELEGATES TO CONFERENCES, CONVENTIONS AND EDUCATIONALS
(a) Except for the President’s option [Section 9(a)], all delegates to conventions, conferences, and educationals shall be chosen by election at membership meetings.
(b) To be eligible for election to attend conventions, conferences, and educationals, a member must be in good standing. For conventions and conferences, a member must have attended at least three (3) of the previous ten (10) General Membership Meetings. For educationals, a member must have attended at one (1) of the previous ten (10) General Membership Meetings. The current attended meeting will be included within the previous 10.