This semester our union has been working on an initiative to generate a Constitution and Bylaws. Dennis Masback and I have been spearheading this project, and a previous email (copied below) detailed the process we’ve followed to generate the best-suited Constitution and Bylaws for our union.
At root, a Constitution sets forth the principles our union works under, and Bylaws specify what we do and how we do it. This document is about how we operate as a Union (and is not about how we relate to the administration). You can access a PDF of the proposed Constitution and Bylaws here:
We’ve scheduled a series of four meetings for people to come discuss, ask questions about, and better understand the proposed Constitution and Bylaws. Any union member may attend, and we hope that one of these times suits your calendar if you wish to participate in these discussions.
The meetings will be on April 22nd, April 28th, April 29th, and April 30th, in North Hall room 108, from 12:45-1:45pm. Feel free to bring your lunch. We’re sorry that we’re unable to have any meetings on Pratt Manhattan Campus. If you are unable to attend these meetings but have questions, please get in touch with both me and Dennis.
Subsequent to these meetings, all members will be asked to vote on whether to ratify and adopt the proposed Constitution and Bylaws. More information about that process will be forthcoming.
Hope to see you soon! In solidarity, Emily Beall and Dennis Masback
Co-coordinators, UFCT Delegates Assembly
——————————–
Subject: Constitution and Bylaws Initiative
Dear Union Member,
This semester, Dennis Masback and I have been spearheading an initiative to generate a Constitution and Bylaws for our Union.
We began this process at the beginning of the semester by looking at draft constitution & bylaws documents generated by a committee that convened in 2004. We also received guidelines from the AFT on how to generate a constitution & bylaws, and researched other local’s constitution & bylaws from unions in our area.
From there, we generated a draft and solicited members of the Delegates Assembly for feedback, suggestions, and changes. In March, we had a series of two meetings with Delegates, over the course of which fifteen delegates participated by attending these meetings or sending comments. Dennis and I revised our draft, twice, to incorporate changes that emerged from these discussions.
Currently, the draft has been sent to our parent unions, NYSUT and AFT, for their review.
Once we receive a response from our parent unions, we will hold a series of meetings for all members to review and ask questions about the proposed Bylaws and Constitution. We hope to have about four meetings, at varying days and times, over the course of two weeks in mid-to-late April. We will circulate a copy of the document to all members about a week before our first meeting so that members have time to read it prior to attending meetings.
We are really excited about this new initiative that we believe will benefit our union by clarifying and codifying what we do and how we do it. We look forward to those upcoming meetings and will let you know as soon as we’re able to schedule them!
In solidarity,
Emily Beall and Dennis Masback
Co-coordinators, UFCT Delegates Assembly