Results of ByLaw Survey

Dear Members of Pratt Local 1460,

Thank you to the 100 faculty members who participated in this survey. This is an impressive response for a bylaws survey, reflecting an engaged and future-oriented membership. While there were areas of both agreement and divergence, the comments were thoughtful and reflected a deep well of union experience.

No final document will fully satisfy everyone, but we can and should memorialize areas of broad consensus and develop fair compromises where opinions differ. Differences need not be a source of division—they can instead inspire creative solutions. Our goal should be to emerge from this process with a stronger union grounded in solidarity, democratic decision-making, and mutual respect.

In Solidarity,

Robert Ausch

UFCT 1460 Treasurer and Grievance

Very Short Summary

The diversity of our membership was well represented.

Members broadly support term limits and raising dues for those earning over $60,000.

There was strong support for expanding the Executive Committee, though some were unclear on the purpose of specific new titles.

A majority favored electing the Election Committee by the full membership rather than by the Delegates Assembly.

A majority supported voter eligibility at 14 days after submitting membership forms, but this issue was more divisive than other issues.

A slim majority supported implementing a recall process for delegates.

There was moderate support for an elected Delegates Assembly.

There was little support for raising dues to fund Executive Committee compensation or administrative hires.

Summary of Major Findings

Areas of Reasonable Consensus

Term Limits: 76% of respondents supported term limits for the Executive Committee. Only one respondent opposed them, though several requested more clarity on implementation.

Expansion of the Executive Committee: Nearly 80% supported increasing the EC from 4 to 5 members, noting this would allow a better distribution of responsibilities.

Election Committee Transparency: Over 80% supported prohibiting EC members from endorsing candidates and requiring the EC to submit detailed election plans and post-election reports. 71% supported post-election transparency, including access to EC minutes and correspondence.

Election Committee Selection: 51.1% favored electing the Election Committee by the full membership. Fewer than 27% supported having the Delegates Assembly elect them—this marks a significant shift from current practice.

Raising Dues: Only 12% opposed raising dues to 1% for members earning over $60,000 annually. Some respondents asked for clarification on how these funds would be used.

Areas with Some Divergence

Voter Eligibility Based on Teaching Activity: 77.6% supported limiting voting rights to members who taught within the last 16 months; Most of the other 22.4% preferred a 12-month window.

New EC Position – Secretary of Communications: 71% supported the addition, though questions about the scope of the role remain.

Voter Eligibility Timing for New Members: 70% supported voter eligibility at 14 days after submitting membership forms. The remaining 30% proposed timelines ranging from 30-60 days to a full year.

Election Dispute Resolution: Fewer than 37% supported the current practice of giving the Election Committee final say in election disputes.

Title Change – Secretary to Secretary of Records: Nearly 68% supported this change. Because the position mainly involves meeting minutes, there was confusion about who would be responsible for the non-financial records, including maintaining the membership list.

Areas of Larger Divergence

Election Commitee Member Recall Process: Just over 50% of respondents supported establishing a recall process.

Title Change—Vice President to Vice President and Lead Organizer: Fewer than 50% supported this change, and many questioned the combination of these distinct roles.

Elected Delegates Assembly: 61.2% supported transitioning to an elected Delegates Assembly.

LINK survey data