UTE Rules of Order

GENERAL SUMMARY

The President or their designate shall take the Chair at the time specified and shall preside at all sessions.
Hours of sittings of meetings of the Union of Taxation Employees shall be determined by the appropriate bylaws or regulation. In the absence of such rule, hours of sittings shall be determined by the meeting itself on recommendation of the Chair.
When a member wishes to speak they will wait to be recognized by the Chair. They will then give their name and the body they represent, state the purpose for which they rise and confine their remarks to the question at issue.
Speeches shall normally be limited to three (3) minutes.
A member shall not speak more than once upon a subject until all who wish to speak have had an opportunity to do so.
A member shall not interrupt another, except to rise to a point of order or question of privilege.
If a member is called to order, they shall, at the request of the Chair, take their seat until the question of order has been decided.
Should a member persist in unparliamentary conduct, the Chair will be compelled to name them and submit their conduct to the judgment of the meeting. In such case, the member whose conduct is in question should explain and then withdraw and the meeting will then determine what course to pursue in the matter.
When a motion has been made and seconded, the Chair shall state the motion and then ask: “Are you ready for the question?”
Any member may appeal a decision of the Chair and the appeal shall require a seconder. Immediately and without debate, except that the appellant and the Chair may give their reasons for the appeal and the decision respectively, the Chair shall put the question: “Shall the decision of the Chair be sustained?”
In the event of a tie vote on any matter other than the election of officers, the Chair may cast a deciding vote. The Chair shall not take part in a debate unless they leave the Chair. Having left the Chair, they shall not return to it until the matter in question has been disposed of.
When the “previous question” is moved and seconded, no further discussion is permitted on a main motion or amendment and the Chair must take a vote of the motion for the previous question immediately by asking “shall the question be now put?” If a two-thirds majority vote “that the question be now put”, the motion or amendment shall be put without debate. If the motion to put the question is not passed by a two-thirds majority vote, discussion will continue on the motion or amendment. The previous question cannot be proposed by a person who has spoken on the motion or the amendment.
1. Any motion or amendment to a motion may be amended, provided the amendment is relevant to the question and does not have the effect of simply negating the question. If an amendment to an amendment has been moved and seconded, the Chair will not entertain any further amendments until the amendment to the amendment has been disposed of.
2. Amendments are always voted on in reverse order to their introduction. That is, the amendment to the amendment must be disposed of before the amendment, and the amendment must be voted on before the main motion. Whether or not the amendments have carried, the main motion must always be vote on; otherwise the principal question remains undecided.
Committees may combine resolutions or prepare a composite resolution to cover the intent of the question at issue. Reports of committees are not subject to amendment by the meeting but a motion to refer back to the committee for reconsideration and direction shall be in order. Committees shall not sit while a meeting is in session, unless a majority of the members approve such action. On presenting the committee’s recommendation to the meeting, the Chair of the Committee shall present a motion in the following form: “I move, seconded by (name of Co-chairperson of the Committee) concurrence (or non-concurrence) in Resolution No...” or “I move, seconded by (name of Co-chairperson of Committee) concurrence in Resolution No..., as amended by the Committee” or, “I move, seconded by (name of Co-chairperson of Committee) concurrence in composite Resolution No..., as prepared by the Committee” or, “I move, seconded by (name of Co-chairperson of Committee) acceptance of the Committee recommendations”.
A motion to refer, if seconded, may be debated only as to the propriety or advisability of such referral but not as to the main question. A motion to refer may include instructions to the committee or officer to which the motion is referred.
The report of a committee, when adopted, becomes the decision of the meeting which adopted it.
The following motions shall be in order at any time and in the order stated:
1. To adjourn (not debatable).
2. To recess (not debatable).
3. Question of privilege (the Chair must rule immediately before going on to further business).
4. Point of order (the Chair must rule immediately before going on to further business).
5. To lay on the table (not debatable).
6. To put the previous question (not debatable).
7. To postpone to a future time (debatable only as to propriety or advisability).
None of these motions shall be moved a second time until there has been an intermediate proceeding of business dealt with by the meeting.
A motion may be reconsidered providing the mover and seconder of the motion to reconsider voted with the prevailing side, and notice of motion has been given for reconsideration at the previous sitting. A motion to reconsider shall require a two-thirds majority to pass.
1. If the results of a voice vote or a vote taken by a show of hands as announced by the Chair is doubted, upon request of any member a standing vote may be ordered.
2. A vote by secret ballot shall be taken only on a substantive motion at the request of any five of the members present.
3. A vote by secret ballot shall not be permitted on a procedural or dilatory motion with one exception: if the initial question was resolved by a secret ballot, a secret ballot will be permitted on a motion of reconsideration.
4. Once the Chair has called the question, it shall not be in order to request a secret ballot.
5. When a standing vote or a vote by secret ballot has been ordered, no adjournment or recess shall take place until the results have been announced. The Chair shall cause to have the number of members voting in the affirmative and the negative recorded.
When a standing vote or a vote by secret ballot has been called by the Chair, no one, except with permission of the Chair, shall be permitted to enter or leave the floor until the results of the vote have been announced.
None but accredited members of the Union of Taxation Employees and authorized members of the staff shall be permitted on the meeting floor during the business sessions.
A majority of members at the meeting may request, and have ordered, a recorded vote. Upon receiving such request, the Chair shall require the secretary to call the roll and record the names of those members voting in the affirmative and in the negative.
Proposals and other matters of business submitted after the closing date of the receipt of resolutions will be referred to the meeting and be dealt with as late resolutions as the last order of business. The meeting will refer them to the appropriate convention committee.
All motions calling for the expenditure of money shall be placed in writing, which will serve as a “notice of motion” and together with all proposals and amendments referring to same, shall be referred to the appropriate committee or officer responsible for finances, for consideration before any vote is entertained thereon. For meetings of the Executive Council a verbal “notice of motion” will suffice.
A motion to limit the debate shall be in order once the Chair has stated the question. It must be moved and seconded and is not debatable. A motion to limit debate may limit the number of speakers or the time allotted and the motion must so state. Such a motion shall require a two-thirds majority to pass.
Election of officers shall be conducted in accordance with the By-laws and regulations of the Union of Taxation Employees.
In calling for further nominations from the floor the Chair of the Nominations Committee will declare nominations closed after calling “Are there any further nominations?” Three times, without response.
The Chair of the Nominations Committee will announce after each vote by secret ballot:
1. the number of ballots cast,
2. the number of ballots cast for each candidate, and
3. the number of spoiled ballots, if any.
Each candidate for an office shall have the privilege of nominating a scrutineer who shall be entitled to observe all phases of the election and the counting of ballots for that particular office.
In the event of a close decision, it will be in order for a member to request a recount. If the Chair of the Nominations Committee rules against a recount, their ruling may be appealed in the same manner as the ruling of the Chair may be appealed under rule number 10.
Quorums shall be determined by the appropriate bylaws or regulations governing the body in session.
Bourinot’s Rules of Order shall govern in all matters not regulated by the rules set out above.