Nicola Valley Institute of Technology Employees' Association

NVITEA Constitution

ARTICLE 1: MEMBERSHIP AND JURISDICTION

1. Membership is open to all employees within the jurisdiction of the Association, regardless of sex, sexual orientation, age, marital status, parental status, religious belief, political belief, national origin, physical disability, colour, or race. However, no person shall be eligible for membership who is employed in a managerial capacity by the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology.

2. Each person singing an application for membership agrees to comply with the constitution and bylaws of the Association.

3. Each person failing to pay her/his dues for a period exceeding three months shall be automatically suspended from membership. The foregoing does not apply to members on unpaid leave or a sick leave from a bargaining unit position.

4. For purposes of this article, “employee” includes any person previously employed the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology who might reasonably anticipate renewal of such employment in future, and who can be deemed an employee of the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology Employees’ Association for purposes of a certification application under applicable laws.

5. When a member ceases to be employed at the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology, but can demonstrate a reasonable expectation of renewed employment in future, she/he retains full membership rights without paying per capita assessment for a period of six (6) months.

6. A member may be expelled or suspended by a two-thirds vote at an annual or special general meeting.

ARTICLE 2: EXECUTIVE OFFICERS

1. The Executive officers of the Association shall consist of President, Vice-President (Merritt), Vice-President (Vancouver), Secretary (Merritt), Secretary (Vancouver), Treasurer, Chief Steward, Interview Panel Coordinator, and Bargaining Committee Chairperson, elected at an Annual General Meeting.

2. Officers of the Association shall have all powers herein provided during their tenure in office and shall be empowered to act between Annual General Meetings on all matters legislative, judicial and administrative. They shall not have the power to amend or alter the constitution.

3. Nominations and election of the Executive Officers shall take place at the Annual General Meeting. All members in good standing shall be eligible for election as an officer of this Association. Elections shall in all cases be held by secret ballot.

4. The term of any office shall be from one Annual General Meeting to the next Annual General Meeting, at which time a vote shall be held for each position. Voting at each Annual General Meeting does not preclude a member from serving successive terms.

5. In the case of the President’s position becoming vacant for any reason, the Vice-President (Merritt) or VicePresident (Vancouver) shall automatically fill that position until the next Annual General Meeting or Special General Meeting called for that purpose.

6. In the case of the Vice-President (Merritt), Vice-President (Vancouver) or Secretary’s office becoming vacant, a referendum ballot shall be conducted to fill the vacancy.

7. Where an office other than that of President is vacant, the Executive may appoint an interim officer until the next Special or Annual General Meeting.

ARTICLE 3: DUTIES OF OFFICERS

1. The President shall preside at all meetings and conventions of the Association. She/he shall be the executive head of the Association and be responsible to the Executive and to the membership for the administration of the affairs of the Association. She/he shall be a member ex-officio of all committees of the Association.

2. The Vice-Presidents of the Association shall assume the duties and authority of the President in her or his absence.

3. The Treasurer shall be responsible for keeping a true and proper record of all monies received and expended, and for maintaining accurately and properly such bookkeeping system as shall be set up by the Association. The Treasurer shall issue financial reports at all meetings of the Association.

4. The Secretary shall be responsible for maintaining full records of all meetings and all conventions of the Association. The Secretary shall maintain all records, documents and correspondence of the Association.

5. The Bargaining Committee Chairperson along with the bargaining team, will call and run meetings. The Bargaining Committee Chairperson will keep the President informed about bargaining, as needed, and take general responsibility for informing other arms of the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology Employees’ Association about bargaining issues. The Bargaining Committee Chairperson will serve as a representative of the bargaining team to ensure smooth communication between the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology Employees’ Association and management.

6. The Chief Steward shall coordinate activities by shop stewards, to ensure that all shop stewards comply with training and education requirements to monitor training needs on the part of the stewards and recommend appropriate actions to the Nicola Valley Institute of Technology Employees’ Association. The Chief Steward’s term of office shall be the same as that of the President. The President may remove the Chief Steward at any time.

ARTICLE 4: FINANCES

1. All cheques issued by the Association and all legal documents shall require the signature of any two of the President, Vice-President (Merritt), Vice-President (Vancouver), Secretary and Treasurer.

2. All major financial transactions of the Association shall be made by cheque.

3. An audit shall be conducted annually by an auditor and the report shall be presented at the Annual General Meeting.

ARTICLE 5: REVENUE

1. The revenue of the Association shall be derived from a per capita assessment to be determined by the Annual or Special General Meetings.

2. The revenue shall be used for general servicing of the membership, organizing, administration, membership in the FPSE, and other purposes authorized at the Annual General Meeting.

3. An annual budget shall be approved at each Annual General Meeting.

ARTICLE 6: MEETINGS

1. The Association shall hold an Annual General Meeting during the first two weeks of October of each year and regular membership meetings as deemed appropriate by the Executive.

1. Special meetings may be called by the Association’s Executive. If the Association’s Executive receives a petition of fifteen percent (15%) of the Association membership a special meeting must be called.

1. Twenty percent (20%) of Association members shall constitute a quorum at any meeting.

1. Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern procedure for all meetings of the Association.

1. One (1) week’s notice must be given for Annual General Meetings.

ARTICLE 7: VOTING

1. All members of the Association are voting members.

1. Voting by proxy shall be allowed in a meeting where a member in attendance at the meeting demonstrates to the satisfaction of the chair or the chair’s delegate that s/he has signed authorization from a member in good standing to vote by proxy on behalf of that member of which notice is given prior to a General meeting. Authorization pursuant to this provision may be limited to a particular motion.

1. Voting by email shall be allowed with respect to any motion of which notice is given prior to a General meeting or date on which a poll is held. Ballots for the purpose of an email vote shall be sent out at least one week prior to the meeting or date on which the poll is held and will be valid if received no later than one week after the meeting or date on which the poll is held.

ARTICLE 8: COMMITTEES

1. The Executive shall appoint such committees as are required for the proper functioning of the Association and the carrying out of its membership in FPSE.

ARTICLE 9: ALTERATION OF BYLAWS

1. The Bylaws of the Association may be altered by a special resolution of two-thirds of the membership voting at an Annual General Meeting, or at a Special General Meeting, or otherwise voting in accordance with these by-laws.

Amended at a Special Meeting on the 4th day of November, 2009.