NALC Branch 391
Trans-Maine, Merged
Bylaws
Article 1
Name and Object
Section 1
This branch shall be
known as Branch 391, Trans-Maine Merged of the National Association of Letter
Carriers of the
(Hereafter referred to
as the NALC).
Section 2
The object of the
Branch is to unite all employees who are eligible for membership under Article
2, Section 2, of the National Constitution of the NALC into one harmonious body
for their mutual benefit and to assist the NALC in its efforts to improve the
condition of its entire membership.
Article 2
Membership
Section 1
Upon request, the
branch secretary shall issue an application for membership to any letter
carrier.
Section 2
Any regular branch
member, on tendering a written resignation of membership and having paid all
dues, shall receive from the Secretary a certificate of good standing.
Section 3
A carrier transferred
to this Branch from another will be accepted as a member provided he/she has a
certificate of good standing from the former Branch.
Section 4
Excluding associate
members, all members in good standing who retire from the Postal Service shall
be honored by the presentation of an NALC watch and a scroll of appreciation.
When the retiree becomes a verified retired member of the NALC, he/she
shall be awarded the sum of $15.00 per year of immediately continuous NALC
membership, as of the date of retirement, not to exceed the sum of $250.00.
Article 3
Meetings
Section la
The regular meetings of the
Branch shall be held on the third (3rd) Tuesday of each month, excluding August
and December, at
Section 1b
The Executive Council may
postpone, cancel, and/or reschedule any meeting due to inclement weather or
emergency. Reasonable effort shall then be made to notify the membership of the
postponement, cancellation or new schedule.
Section 2
Special meetings shall be
called by the President upon written request of fifteen (15) members in good
standing, representing at least three (3) Branch installations.
Section 3
No business shall be
transacted at a special meeting other than that for which the meeting was
called.
Section 4
A quorum for a regular meeting
shall be five (5) members, and for a special meeting shall be fifteen (15) members.
Section 5
In the absence of the
President and Vice President, any member in good standing may be elected to
preside by a majority of those present.
Article 4
Officers
Section 1
The officers of the
Branch shall be: President, Executive Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer,
Sergeant-at-Arms, Health Benefits Officer, Workers Compensation Officer,
Director of Retired Members, Director of Education, and three (3) trustees.
Section 2
All officers shall be
elected every three (3) years and hold office for three (3) years.
Section 3
With the exception of
the Office of President, which is specifically provided for in Article VI,
Section 2, of the CGSFB, when an elected office becomes vacant due to death,
resignation, disqualification, refusal or neglect of such officers to discharge
the duties of the office, the members of the Branch shall elect a successor in
a special election to be held within sixty (60) days of the time the office
becomes vacant. Branch Secretary to notify members of vacancy by mailed notice
forty-five (45) days prior to special election.
Section 4
The duties of the
Officers of this Branch shall be those defined in Article VI of the CGSFB. The
treasurer shall submit a financial report in July and January of each year,
covering the previous six (6) months of Branch financial business.
Section 5
The Executive Council
shall consist of the President, Executive Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer,
Sergeant-at-Arms, Director of Retired Members, Health Benefits Officer, Workers
Compensation Officer, Director of Education, Newsletter Editor/Branch Scribe
and three (3) Trustees. The President shall act as Chairperson when in session.
A meeting may be called by a majority of Executive Council members. The duties
of the Executive Council will be in compliance with the provisions set forth in
the Branch Bylaws.
Section 6
1. The Director of
Education shall be responsible for designing and implementing training programs
for Branch members. These programs shall include, but not be limited to, steward
training, route inspection training, new member orientation, seminars/rap
sessions, and any other programs designed by the Executive Council.
2. The Newsletter
Editor/Branch Scribe shall prepare an article for The Postal Record, on at
least a quarterly basis, under the direction of the Branch President. He/she
shall also be responsible for the preparation and editorial content of the
Branch Newsletter.
Article 5
Salaries
Section 1
President: That the President
shall receive Fifteen (15) hours pay per month and on receipt of mileage log by
the end of the month, will be reimbursed for mileage travel of up to $100.00,
excluding the month of June, and will be paid at the end of the month, and will
be ineligible for any other Officer’s or Steward's pay.
Section 2
Executive Vice President: That
the Executive Vice President shall receive Four (4) hours pay per month,
excluding the month of June, and will be paid at the end of the month.
Section 3
Secretary: That the Secretary
shall receive four (4) hours pay per month, excluding the month of June, and
will be paid at the end of the month.
Section 4
Treasurer: That the Treasurer
shall be paid four (4) hours pay per month, excluding the month of June, and
will be paid at the end of the month.
Section 5
Health Benefits Officer and
Workers Compensation Officer: That the Health Benefits Officer and Workers
Compensation Officer receive one and one half (1-1/2) hours pay per month,
excluding the month of June, and will be paid at the end of the month.
Section 6
Trustees and the Newsletter
Editor/Branch Scribe shall receive five (5) hours of pay per year, to be paid
in the month of December upon the completion of their duties.
Section 7
The salaries of the Officers
of Branch 391 will be based upon the actual hourly rate for Grade 2, top step,
to be paid by the end of each month.
Section 8
Up to two (2) members
attending Labor Management meetings shall receive level 6, top step, pay per
hour of actual time spent at the meeting, when not receiving pay from the
Postal Service.
Section 9
Any salaried officer missing
three (3) consecutive Branch meetings shall forfeit his/her salary. Emergency,
annual leave, sick leave, Union assignment, inclement weather or Postal work
shall excuse an Officer from attending a regular Branch meeting and he/she
shall receive credit for attendance.
Section 10
Stewards: Stewards shall be
paid two (2) hours pay per month, excluding the month of June, and will be paid
at the end of the month.
Section 11
Alternate Stewards shall be
paid for three (3) hours per year prorated to the fraction of year served by
month and shall be paid in December of each year.
Section 12
The Director of Education
shall receive one and one half (1-1/2) hours pay per month, excluding the month
of June, and will be paid at the end of the month.
Section 13
The Sergeant-at-Arms shall be
paid one-half (1/2) hours pay per month, excluding the month of June, and will
be paid at the end of the month.
Article 6
Elections
Section 1
The provisions of Article 5,
Elections, of the CGSFB shall govern the election of all Branch Officers, all
delegates to the NALC Conventions, all delegates to the State Conventions, and
all other elected Branch positions, with the exception that the Branch
President shall be a Delegate to National and State Conventions by virtue of
the office.
Section 2
In accordance with Article 2,
Section 1 of the NALC National Constitution, all regular members, except those
who have applied for or are acting in a supervisory position, shall be eligible
to hold office in the Branch.
Section 3
All regular members in good
standing are entitled to one (1) vote for each office or position being filled.
Section 4
Nominations shall be conducted
in accordance with the NALC Rules and Regulations Re: Elections.
Section 5
No later than twenty (20) days
prior to the regular November meeting, in which the Branch election occurs, the
Secretary will mail to each member a stamped envelope containing a ballot. The
member shall fill out the ballot properly, place it in a sealed ballot
envelope, place that in a mailing envelope, and return it by mail to the
Chairperson of the election Committee. The ballot shall be secret and only the
outside of the mailing envelope will show the member's name to insure a proper
count.
Section 6
Delegates to the National
and/or State Conventions will be elected as defined in Article 5, Section 4 of
the National Constitution. State Convention Delegate elections shall occur in
each year immediately preceding the year in which the State Association
Convention occurs.
Section 7
Each year nominations for
Steward(s) and Alternate Steward(s) shall be accepted for each office by the
Branch from March 1 - March 15. Elections, if necessary, for those offices
shall be held during the next full work week following March 15. The term of
office shall begin on April 1, and shall be for a period of one (1) year.
Article 7
Dues
Section 1
Dues will be governed by the
National Dues Structure.
Section 2
Including State and National
per capita taxes, dues for retired members are to be fifteen dollars ($15.00)
per year.
Section 3
New members will not pay an
initiation fee.
Section 4
The rate(s) of dues may be
increased only by a majority vote by secret ballot of the members at a Special
or Regular meeting, after reasonable notice has been given that this will be on
the agenda.
Section 5
Branch members in good
standing who have been terminated or suspended shall be kept on the rolls at
the Branch's expense until their case has been adjudicated. Additionally, the Branch
will pay the dues of any member who is on OWCP while they are in a non-pay
status.
Article 8
Committees
Section 1
The Branch President shall
appoint all committees, as needed, which will act in an advisory capacity on
behalf of the membership.
Article 9
Charges and/or Appeals
Section 1
Charges against members will
be conducted as directed in Article 10 of the CGSFB.
Section 2
Appeals will be conducted as
directed in Article 11 of the CGSFB.
Article 10
Funds
Section 1
The Branch will pay mileage at
the rate of thirty cents ($.30) per mile for authorized performance of Branch
or
Section 2
All funds of the Branch shall
be deposited in such bank or savings institution as the members may determine.
All Branch checks shall be counter signed by the President and Treasurer or, in
their absence, the Vice President or Secretary.
Section 3
Reimbursements to officers and
others for telephone bills incurred due to authorized Branch or Union business
will be paid upon presentation of the actual bill to the Treasurer at a Regular
meeting. The Treasurer may reserve the right to make payments on a quarterly
basis.
Section 4
Branch officers and stewards
may spend up to one hundred dollars ($100.00) for authorized Branch expenses,
no to exceed one (1) event per calendar quarter per officer or steward, for the
purpose of attending seminars or other events that provide educational value to
the Branch.
Section 5
A full account of all expenses
must be made to the Branch by any member within thirty (30) days of the
expenditure.
Section 6
The Branch will send the
Branch President to the National Convention of the NALC and pay expenses up to
the sum of one thousand dollars ($1,000.00).
Section 7
Certain requirements are
necessary to become a paid delegate or alternate delegate to the National or
State Conventions, as follows:
a.) The member must be a
member in good standing;
b.)The member must attend
fifteen (15) meetings within the two year period between each National or State
Convention (members with less than two (2) years membership may fulfill) the
above requirement by attending no less than seventy five percent (75%) of the
Branch meetings that occur during their period of membership); the Secretary
will keep a record of attendance;
c.) Attendance at Special
Meetings will not count toward the member's eligibility. Credit will be allowed
if the member can prove that he/she was on-the-clock, annual leave or sick
leave at the time of the regular monthly meeting.
Section 8
Section 9
Attendance at all other major
union events (such as Health Benefits Seminar, rap sessions, branch officer
training, etc.) must be approved at a regular meeting by the membership.
Section 10
The Branch will establish and
maintain a Convention Fund for the purpose of saving moneys of the Branch for
funding the sending of eligible, elected Branch delegates to the biennial
National Conventions. This money is to be deposited into this fund at a rate of
not less than five percent (5%) of the monthly branch income from dues
withholdings. Additional amounts needed to fund the travel, accommodations and
other expenses of Branch delegates to National Conventions may be added to the
minimum 5% as determined by the general membership at regular monthly meetings.
Upon determining the amount
available to expend for delegate expenses for an upcoming National Convention,
the appropriate travel and accommodation arrangements will be made by the
Branch President or his/her designee.
Said funds will be disbursed
in proportionate shares per delegate for expenses incurred, not to exceed one
thousand dollars ($1,000.00) per delegate.
In order to be eligible for
the above moneys, each delegate must attend four (4) out of five (5) general
sessions, and at least two (2) workshops.
Section 11
Reimbursements to shop
stewards for mileage to attend regular and special meetings shall be based on
"air miles", one (1) way, from the meeting site to the community in
which the steward serves.
The schedule shall be:
20 to 30 air miles = $9.00
(example:
31 to 40 air miles =$12.00
41 to 50 air miles = $15.00 (example:
51 to 60 air miles = $18.00
61 to 70 air miles =$21.00
71 to 80 air miles = $24.00 (example:
Section 12
Except as otherwise stated in
these Bylaws, any expenditure in excess of four hundred dollars ($400.00) shall
require reasonable notification to the Branch prior to being acted upon.
Section 13
When payment to members for
"lost wages" is approved at a regular or special meeting, the hourly
rate shall be based upon Level 6, top step.
Section 14
The Branch officers having
check signing authority shall be authorized to pay, in a timely manner, all
normal operating expenses, (such as; utilities, postage, dues, monthly rentals,
insurance premiums, credit card bills, bibles, watches, calendars, hats and
manuals).
Section 15
The Executive Council shall be
empowered to exercise its discretion between regular meetings in determining
when a matter is of such urgency as to necessitate an expenditure of Branch
funds and to authorize such funds. Such a determination and authorization by
the Executive council shall not be considered a violation of any other section
of Article 10, Funds.
Article 11
Amendments
Section 1
These Bylaws shall not be
altered or amended except in the manner provided for in Article 15, By-laws of
Branches and State Associations, of the Constitution of the NALC.