Bylaws

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Article I - Name and Objective 1
Section 1 – Name 1
Section 2 – Objective 1

Article II - Membership, Affiliation and Non-Discrimination 1
Section 1 – Membership 1
Section 2 – Affiliation 1
Section 3 – Privileges 1
Section 4 – Censure and Discipline 1
Section 5 – Non-Discrimination 1

Article III - Governance 2

Section 1 – Executive Officers 2 Section 2 – Governing Board 2
Section 3 – Recall 2

Article IV - Executive Officers 2

Section 1 – Duties 2
Section 2 – Terms 3
Section 3 – Vacancies 3

Article V - Regional Council Representative 3

Section 1 – Duties 3
Section 2 – Election and Terms 3
Section 3 – Vacancies 3

Article VI - Building Representatives 3

Article VII - Governing Board 4

Section 1 – Duties 4
Section 2 – Terms 4
Section 5 – Meetings

Article VIII - Elections 4
Section 1 – Elections Chair 4
Section 2 – Election Procedures 4
Section 3 – Election Challenges 5

Article IX - Arbitration and Grievance Appeal 6

Article X - Duty Chairs and ad hoc Committees 6

Section 1 – Appointment 6
Section 2 – Standing Chairs and Committees 6
Section 3 – Negotiations Committee (see addendum below) 6
Section 4 – Grievance Chair 6
Section 5 – Public Chair 6
Section 6 – Membership Chair 6
Section 7 – Go-To Team Member 7

Article XI - Meeting of the Membership 7

Article XII - Voting 7

Article XIII - Parliamentary Authority 7

Article XIV - Dues 7

Article XV - Savings Clause 7

Article XVI - Amending Procedures 7

The following is a change to Article X of the by-laws of the Park Ridge Education Association dated June 1, 2014.

Article X – Duty Chairs, standing and ad hoc committees.
Section 3 - Negotiations Committee
A. The Negotiations Committee’s primary responsibility shall be the negotiation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (“the contract”) with the District 64 School Board , although the Committee shall also explore and prepare programs as necessary in all areas of employee welfare, contractual and otherwise.

B. The Committee shall solicit input from the membership as a whole. The Negotiating Committee shall be elected at large by the membership. It shall consist of six members and the President. The Committee shall elect a Chair and divide responsibilities as they see fit. The President shall not serve as Chair.

C. The length of the term shall be equal to the length of the contract negotiated during the member’s term . In the case that the length of the most recently negotiated contract is one (1) year, the members shall continue to serve on the Committee until such time that a contract is negotiated that is longer than one year but for a term not to exceed the span of three contracts.

D.) The election of negotiators shall take place during the spring of the calendar year prior to the final year of the contract (e.g. spring of 2012 for a contract ending in the summer of 2013). The term of all members of the Committee shall begin on the first day of the final school year of the current contract, although members-elect may meet prior to that date as needed.

Article I – Name and Objective

Section 1 - Name
The name of this organization shall be the Park Ridge Education Association, an affiliate of the Illinois Education Association and the National Education Association.

Section 2 - Objective
The object of the Association shall be to advance public education and to promote the welfare of our members and all certified school personnel.

Article II - Membership, Affiliation and Non-Discrimination

Section 1 - Membership
Membership shall be open to all full and part-time certified staff employed by Community Consolidated School District 64, Park Ridge/Niles, Illinois.

Section 2 - Affiliation
This organization shall be affiliated with, and comply with the Constitution and Bylaws of the Illinois Education Association and Constitution and Bylaws of the National Education Association. If there are any conflicts or inconsistencies between these bylaws and the bylaws or constitution of the state or national organization, the state or national documents shall govern.

Section 3 - Privileges
Members shall have full membership services and privileges, including voting, holding office, serving on committees, serving as a delegate to IEA and NEA Representative Assemblies, participating in fringe benefits provided by the Association and related enterprises, and such other rights and privileges as are conferred through the Association governance.

Section 4 - Censure and Discipline
In the event a charge is filed against a member calling for the censure, suspension, or expulsion of the member, the Governing Board shall conduct a due process hearing and rule on the charge. The decision of the Board may be appealed to the IEA Review Board. The local shall deny membership to an individual while that individual is denied membership in the IEA pursuant to NEA Bylaw 2-3.d.

Section 5 - Non-Discrimination
Membership shall be open to all those qualified as members without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, gender, sexual orientation, age, disability, marital status or economic status.

Article III – Governance

Section 1 - Executive Officers
The Executive Officers of the Association shall be the President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.

Section 2 – Governing Board
The Governing Board shall consist of the Executive Officers, the Building Representatives and Committee Chairs.

Section 3 - Recall
Any Executive Officer may be removed by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those members voting at a membership meeting when a majority of the membership is present. Such recall election shall be conducted by the Election Chair upon receipt of a petition stating the specific grounds of the recall and containing the signatures of thirty (30) percent of the membership.

Article IV - Executive Officers

Section 1 - Duties
A. President. The President shall be the Chief Officer, with the power and the duty to enforce and interpret the Bylaws, carry out Association policies between Governing Board meetings, sign contracts and agreements, represent the Association before the public either personally or through designees, appoint and remove members of all committees with the consent of the Governing Board, serve as ex-officio member on all committees, cause a budget to be constructed and an annual audit to occur, and preside over meetings of the Governing Board and the membership. Further, the President shall have the power and duty to perform all acts generally associated with the nature of the office and such other duties applicable to the office as prescribed by the parliamentary authority adopted herein which are not inconsistent with the Bylaws.

B. Vice-President. The Vice-President shall have the powers and duties of the President in the President's absence or inability to serve, and shall otherwise have such powers and duties as may be assigned by the President.
C. Secretary. The Secretary shall maintain the official files and shall assist the President with Association correspondence. The Secretary shall keep accurate minutes of each meeting of the Governing Board and each meeting of the membership, and shall be responsible for notifying members of regular and special meetings.

D. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall maintain the records of membership, keep accurate records of expenses and income, and report such records at the Governing Board meeting and meetings of the membership. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the preparation of an annual budget, for payment of bills, for updating and returning of membership rosters to IEA, and for transmitting dues to the IEA as per IEA policies.

Section 2 – Terms
The term of office for Executive Officers shall commence on the first day of the school year. The term shall be two years or until a successor is elected. Officers can serve for two consecutive terms. The terms of the President and Secretary shall run on a staggered basis from those of the Vice-President and Treasurer.

Section 3 – Vacancies
Vacancies occurring by reason of death, resignation, incapacity or other disqualification shall be filled as follows:

A. President. A vacancy in the office of the President shall be filled by the Vice-President for the remainder of the unexpired term.

B. Other Officers. If the vacancy occurs in any other office, the President shall appoint a successor for the remainder of the unexpired term, with the consent by majority vote of the Governing Board.

C. President and Vice-President.
If a vacancy occurs in both the office of President and of Vice-President, the Secretary or Treasurer (the one who has served the greatest time as a voting member of the Executive Committee) shall assume the President's duties until an election is conducted by the Election Committee within sixty (60) days to complete the unexpired terms.

Article V - Regional Council Representative

Section 1 - Duties
IEA Regional Council Representative(s) shall attend the regional council meeting, represent the Association, and report Council activities to the Governing Board and the membership as necessary.

Section 2 - Election and Terms
The election of a Regional Council Representative and alternate shall be as prescribed by the IEA Bylaws.

Section 3 – Vacancies
Vacancies for Regional Council Representative(s) and alternate(s) must be filled in the manner of the original election as prescribed by the IEA Bylaws.

Article VI - Building Representative

The Building Representatives (Building Reps) shall be a member of the Association selected to provide two-way communication between the Association and the members, distribute materials to members personally, and conduct informative meetings. The Building Reps shall recruit volunteers for Association jobs and activities and generate support for Association positions and programs. The Association shall provide training for Building Reps, keep the Building Reps informed of Association activities and positions, and provide incentives for attracting and retaining Building Reps.

Article VII – Governing Board

Section 1 – Duties
The Governing Board shall annually approve a budget, approve the dues, approve expenditures, and may adopt programs on behalf of, or for recommendation to, the membership. The Governing Board shall receive issues of concern from members in each building.

Section 2 - Terms
The term of office for Governing Board members shall be one year and shall commence on the first day of the school year.

Section 3 - Meetings
A. Quorum. A majority of the members of the Board must be present to conduct business, and a majority vote of those present shall rule.

B. Regular Meeting. The Governing Board shall meet one time per month during the school term, and may meet as many additional times as necessary or reasonable to transact its business. The meetings shall take place on the second Monday of each month, unless otherwise scheduled.

Article VIII - Elections

Section 1 - Elections Chair
A. The President shall appoint an Elections Chair.

B. Duties. The Elections Chair shall establish procedures subject to the approval of the Governing Board for nomination of candidates, dissemination of notices concerning the election and conduct of the election and tabulation of the ballots which shall be consistent with procedures established by the IEA Elections Committee. The Elections chair will also hear initial election challenges.

C. Vacancies. Should a temporary or permanent vacancy occur, whether because a member becomes a candidate for office or for any other reason, the vacancy shall be filled in the manner of the original appointment.

Section 2 - Election Procedures
A. Calendar. The Elections Chair shall establish a local election calendar with nominations and election timelines.

B. Conduct. All elections shall be conducted by open nomination and secret ballot.

C. Nominations. Reasonable notice shall be given for nomination to all offices to be filled. Notice shall include time, place, and method for submitting nominations.

D. Write-In Provisions. A write-in provision is required if the number of declared candidates is less than the number of positions available. In cases of elections where the local officer will also serve as a delegate to the IEA and/or NEA Representative Assembly, a write-in provision is required.

E. Eligibility. All active dues paying members must be afforded the opportunity to run for and/or vote in any election representing active members. This does not include fair share or reserved members.

F. Notice. A fifteen (15) day notice of local elections may be given by posting or by other means.

G. Consistency. All election procedures shall be consistent with Regional, State and Federal requirements.

H. Use of Dues. No dues may be used in support of a candidate for any Local, Regional, State or National office.

I. Offices Governed by this Article. All Local Officers, Building Representatives, Regional Council Representatives, Delegates to the IEA Representative Assembly, Delegates to the NEA Representative Assembly, and Negotiating Team members are governed by this article.

J. Runoff Elections. In the event that there is no candidate who has received a majority of the votes cast for a particular office, the Elections Committee shall immediately conduct a runoff election between the two candidates who had received the highest number of votes for that office. Runoff elections shall be run in the same manner as the original election.

K. Results of the Election. The results of the election must be published in a timely manner which allows members to obtain the information without unusual effort.

Section 3 - Election Challenges
Any member(s) desiring to challenge the conduct of any election shall file a written challenge according to the procedures as follows:

A. Local Level - Initial challenges to all local elections governed by this Article shall be with the Local Elections Chair. Such challenges must be made no later than seven calendar days of issuance of the election results.

B. Region, State and National Level - Consult the region, state, and national governing documents for additional challenge procedures and timelines, especially for offices which serve as delegates to the IEA and NEA Representative Assemblies.

Article IX - Arbitration and Grievance Appeal

The Executive Committee shall decide whether or not a grievance shall be processed to final and binding arbitration. Recommendations should be provided to the Executive Committee from the Grievance Chair. The affected member (or a designated representative if there are several grievants) shall have a right to address the committee before the committee decides whether to take the matter to arbitration.

Article X – Duty Chairs, standing and ad hoc committees.

Section 1 - Appointment
The Executive Committee may establish duty Chairs and committees on a standing and/or ad hoc basis. The President shall appoint members to any committees and name a Duty Chair with the consent of the Executive Committee.

Section 2 - Standing Committees and Duty Chairs
There shall be the following standing committees: Negotiations, Public Relations, and Professional Growth. There shall be the following Duty Chairs: Grievance, Membership, Elections, Personnel, Insurance, Mentoring, and Go-To Team member.

Section 3 - Negotiations Committee
Article X – Duty Chairs, standing and ad hoc committees.
Section 3 - Negotiations Committee
A. The Negotiations Committee’s primary responsibility shall be the negotiation of the Collective Bargaining Agreement (“the contract”) with the District 64 School Board , although the Committee shall also explore and prepare programs as necessary in all areas of employee welfare, contractual and otherwise.

Section 4 - Grievance Chair
The Grievance Chair shall be responsible for monitoring and enforcing the contract. The Chair shall assist members in the application of the grievance procedure. The Chair may make recommendations whether to arbitrate grievances to the Executive Committee.

Section 5 - Public Relations Committee
The Public Relations Committee shall be responsible for planning and implementing the Public Relations activities of the local association.

Section 6 - Membership Chair
The Membership Chair shall organize and conduct the annual membership drive. It shall inform the potential membership of the policies, programs, and accomplishments of the local, state, and national Associations.

Section 7 – Go-To Team Member
The Go-To Team Member shall work with IEA Grass Roots Political Organizer to help promote activities that lead the local in engaging in a broad range of political activity related to education and the concerns of our members.

Section 8 – Personnel Relations Chair
The Personnel Relations Chair shall extend Association concern to individual members.

Article Xl - Meeting of the Membership

A. Regular meetings of the membership shall be held annually in May.

B. Special meetings of the membership may be called by the President, a majority of the Executive Committee, or a petition by thirty (30) percent of the membership. Except in case of emergency, at least two days notice shall be given. The Secretary shall notify the membership as soon as possible.

Article XIl - Voting

Unless otherwise provided herein, the adoption of all business by the Executive Committee, Governing Board and the membership shall be by a majority of those voting.

Article XlII - Parliamentary Authority

A modified form of Robert’s Rules of Order shall govern all meetings of this Association.

Article XIV - Dues

The Governing Board shall establish the amount of Local dues each year. The IEA-NEA dues shall be transmitted to the IEA-NEA as per IEA-NEA policies. The books and records of the organization shall be open to inspection by any member upon reasonable request.

Article XV - Savings Clause

In the event a portion or portions of these Bylaws are found to be inconsistent with state or federal law, such portions to the extent that they violate the law shall be deemed deleted and of no force and effect.

Article XVI - Amending Procedures

Proposed revisions of these Bylaws shall be submitted by the Executive Committee (or Representative Council) to the full membership at a regular or special meeting and a two-thirds (2/3) vote of those present shall rule, provided that all members of the Association have been sent notice of the date and place of the meeting and the proposed revision(s) at least fourteen (14) days prior to the meeting.

Adopted: September 13, 2010