JANUARY 14, 2008
CONVENTION CALL
| To: |
Executive Council
Alternate Regional Vice-Presidents
Local Presidents
Labour Relations Officers |
Greetings:
In accordance with By-Law 10, Sections 2, 3 and 4, your Executive Council decided to convene the Fourteenth Triennial National Convention in Vancouver, British Columbia, from Wednesday, July 16 to Saturday, July 19, 2008. The Hyatt Regency Vancouver Hotel has been selected as Convention headquarters. The Convention Committees will meet prior to the Convention at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Ottawa from May 09-11, 2008.
1. REPRESENTATION AT CONVENTION
By-Law 10, Section 5 – For the purpose of representation at a Convention, each Local shall be entitled to one (1) delegate with full voting rights for each block of two hundred (200) members in good standing or fraction of this number during the calendar year preceding the Convention taking into account the month during which the number of members has been the highest in UTE. Every delegate must be a member in good standing of the Local.
For the purpose of replacing delegates at Convention, submit to the National Office the name and ranking of the alternate delegates. Every alternate delegate shall be a member in good standing of the local.
Convention Committees (By-Laws, Finance, Collective Bargaining and General) will meet in Ottawa as noted above. Each Local in accordance with Regulation 4 will be able to send a delegate to one of the Committees. All delegates attending the Committees must be delegates at Convention.
As soon as we receive membership data for all 12 months of 2007, we will advise all Locals of their delegate and paid observer entitlement. It should be by the end of February 2008.
March 21, 2008 – Delegates to Convention Committees
Locals must provide to the National Office, by March 21, 2008 the names of their Convention Committee delegates. At the same time, please indicate what Committee they would like to sit on, as well as, their second choice of Committee. You should note that these individuals must be Convention delegates.
April 04, 2008 – Delegates and observers to Convention
Locals must provide to the National Office by April 04, 2008 the names of all their Convention delegates and observers. This includes all observers, whether they are paid by UTE or the Local.
Registration for Convention will take place at the Hyatt Regency, Tuesday, July 15, 2008 from 10:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. and from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 16 with the opening session of Convention commencing at 9:00 a.m.
April 04, 2008 - Credentials
Credential Certificates (*identified by colour), in sufficient quantity to provide them for each delegate (green) and observer/alternate delegate (blue) to the Convention, are enclosed. These certificates must be signed by the President and Secretary of the Local and sent by fax or mail and must be RECEIVED in the National Office by April 04, 2008.
Delegates and observers who submit their credentials after this date shall be subject to a late registration fee of $100.00. In addition, while reasonable measures will be taken to accommodate all Convention participants, late registrants may not be guaranteed hotel accommodations at the Hyatt Regency, a Convention kit, a Host Committee gift bag, a banquet ticket or other such related amenities or services.
NEW: You will notice that we have combined both the observer and alternate credential certificates on the same form. Alternates must be identified in order of ranking observers on the prescribed form in the location at the top of the form.
2. TRANSPORTATION, TRAVEL AND WAGES - DELEGATES
Most delegates from Locals are expected to travel to Vancouver on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 and to return home on Sunday, July 20, 2008. Expenses such as loss of wages and per diems will only be paid for the authorized period. Exceptions will be identified on an individual basis by the President.
By-Law 10, Section 7 - Travelling expenses of delegates, named by a Local, shall be paid by UTE as per Regulation.
Note: Delegates will be responsible for arranging their own transportation to and from the Convention.
By-Law 10, Section 8 - The cost of rooms and meals of the delegates at Conventions and all loss of salary incurred as a result of attendance at the Convention shall be paid by UTE at the rate and under conditions determined by the Executive Council. Delegate(s) missing a session of the Convention shall not be reimbursed for loss of salary for the period absent unless the Executive Council, after reviewing the circumstances, decides to authorize payment.
By-Law 10, Section 9 - Each member of the Executive Council shall be considered a delegate and entitled to attend Conventions with full voting rights as provided in By-Law 10, Section 5. Their expenses, including travelling expenses, shall be paid by UTE. Regional Vice-Presidents shall be considered delegates from the region they represent. The President and Vice-Presidents shall be considered delegates from the region in which she/he resided immediately prior to her/his initial election to the national position.
3. TRANSPORTATION, TRAVEL AND WAGES - OBSERVERS
All observers from Locals paid by UTE are expected to travel to Vancouver on Tuesday, July 15, 2008 and to return home on Sunday, July 20, 2008. Expenses such as loss of wages and per diems will only be paid for the six-day period.
By-Law 10, Section 12 - UTE shall pay the transportation costs in accordance with By-Law 10, Section 7 for one (1) observer per Local in order to attend the Convention
By-Law 10, Section 13 – UTE shall pay the transportation cost in accordance with By-Law 10, Section 7 as well as accommodation costs, loss of wages and per diem for one (1) observer to the Convention from each Local having two hundred (200) or less members in good standing.
Each observer paid by UTE missing a session of the Convention shall not be reimbursed expenses for the period of absence unless the Executive Council, after reviewing the circumstances, decides to authorize payment.
LOCALS WILL BE ENTITLED TO ONE OBSERVER UNDER SECTION 12 OR SECTION 13 BUT NOT BOTH.
4. VOTING
By-Law 9, Section 8 - Election to any office shall be by simple majority vote of the total votes cast. Where only two (2) nominees remain, or where only two (2) nominees are standing for election for the same office and a tie vote results, the Chairperson of the Nomination Committee will declare no ballot and request that a new vote be taken.
5. AMENDMENT TO BY-LAWS
By-Law 16, Section 1 - These By-Laws may be amended at any Convention by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the votes cast.
6. ACCOMMODATION
All hotel accommodations will be made by the National Office. Any delegate or observer requiring other than standard accommodation should advise the National Office as soon as possible, it being understood that anything over and above single/double accommodation will be at the delegate's or observer's own expense.
7. CONVENTION RESOLUTIONS – March 21, 2008
Convention resolutions are a means by which the membership can offer suggestions and ideas on matters which affect or are of concern to them. Resolutions that are applicable only to UTE come into effect when they are adopted during our Convention unless otherwise stated. Resolutions that require some action by the PSAC are referred to their next Convention for consideration. Adopted resolutions establish official policies for the guidance of and/or instruction to the governing bodies of the organization.
THE DEADLINE FOR RECEIPT OF CONVENTION RESOLUTIONS FOR INCLUSION IN THE OFFICIAL AGENDA FOR CONSIDERATION AT THE JULY 2008 CONVENTION IS MARCH 21, 2008.
As many Local Executive Officers may find this a new experience, the following are suggested as guidelines for the preparation and submission of resolutions:
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Appoint a Convention Resolutions Committee of three to five members. More than this number may be unwieldy.
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Instruct all Executives and members to submit resolutions to the Committee. The Committee should also be encouraged to submit resolutions of its own. Allow the Committee sufficient time to prepare its report.
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Establish a date for a general meeting to study the Committee's report and any additional resolutions.
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The membership should be given ample opportunity to debate each resolution and to endorse, amend or reject same.
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Each resolution adopted by the meeting is to be submitted to the National Office by March 21, 2008.
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Depending on the size and activities of any given Local, it may be more suitable or expedient to appoint several Committees to deal with the individual subject matters and have each Committee report to the membership meeting.
A resolution should be concise and deal with one matter only. A maximum of 150 words is a good rule to follow. The WHEREAS clause(s) is used as an introduction and explanation of the subject matter and the BE IT RESOLVED clause is the "meat" of the resolution; it should specify the objective of the resolution.
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Each resolution should be typewritten or printed on a separate form.
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Amendments to By-Laws and Regulations must be clearly identified either in bold, italic or in some other manner clearly signifying the change.
Examples of resolutions (pink copy) are attached for your guidance and blank resolution forms are also enclosed. Each resolution should be numbered and total number being submitted indicated e.g. No. 2 of 5. All Locals must submit the enclosed (yellow) certificate which specifies the number of resolutions your Local is submitting.
We ask you to use only the attached suggested format when submitting your resolutions and not to use the two (2) columns format presented at Convention.
Along with the above noted written format, the Local President may submit the resolutions by e-mail to Pierrette Labrie: labriep@ute-sei.org.
Note: The deadline for receipt of all resolutions is March 21, 2008.
Remember that your delegates should be prepared to provide the rationale for your resolutions at the Convention Committees and/or the Convention.
8. CONVENTION REGISTRATION
Each delegate and registered observers are required to pay a Convention registration fee of $50.00 by Friday, June 13, 2008. Cheques should be made payable to: Union of Taxation Employees and mailed to Pierrette Labrie, at the National Office, along with the names of the delegate(s) and/or observer(s) for whom the registration is payable.
Any registration paid after June 13, 2008, will be subject to the Late Registration Fee of $100.00.
Fraternally,
Betty Bannon
National President
Encl.
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