By-Laws
International Brotherhood of Police Officers
Local 673
These by-laws, as adopted by the members, prescribe the policies for the self-government and administration of International Brotherhood of Police Officers Local Union 673, hereinafter, Local 673, and are subject to the constitution and by-laws of the National Association of Government Employees / International Brotherhood of Police Officers, SEIU Local 5000. These by-laws shall apply upon adoption by a majority of the members, to actions taken after that date.
ARTICLE 1
ELIGIBILITY FOR MEMBERSHIP
Section 1.01 All sworn police officers of the Chattanooga Police Department and sworn deputies of the Hamilton County Sheriff Department with the rank of Lieutenant or below, so long as such members shall pay the dues prescribed by Section 10.10 of these by-laws, unless expelled from membership pursuant to Article 9 of these by-laws, shall be eligible for membership in Local 673.
ARTICLE 2
LOCAL EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 2.01 Powers and Duties. The Executive Board shall establish the policies of and govern Local 673. The Executive Board may prescribe additional duties for officers, and prescribe the method for performing the duties of any officer, not inconsistent with these by-laws. The Executive Board may establish such committees, for such purposes, and composed of members of the Executive Board or others, as it may determine. The Executive Board may authorize the expenditure of funds for the benefit of Local 673.
Amendment to Section 2.01: The Executive Board shall only consist of Sergeants and Officers/Deputies that are members of good standing. If an Executive Board Member is promoted to the rank of Lieutenant he/she will be asked to step down from their post and an interim will be named until such time a special election can be had to fill the post until tri-annual election are held.
Section 2.02 Regular Meetings. The Executive Board shall conduct a regular meeting on the 2nd Monday of each month. The Executive Board may vote to postpone a regular meeting, but in no event shall the Executive Board fail to conduct regular meetings less often than every other month.
Section 2.03 Special Meetings. The Executive Board may conduct special meetings at the request of the President, or any of the other members of the Executive Board. Special meetings are to be conducted only to deal with matters which cannot reasonably be deferred to the next regular meeting. Each special meeting shall be for a specific purpose or purposes. The President, upon his own initiative or upon the request of another Executive Board member, shall schedule such special meeting at a time and place as convenient as reasonably possible for other members of the Executive Board and make all reasonable efforts to notify all members of the Executive Board of the time, place, and subject(s) of the Special meeting. All reasonable efforts shall be made to notify all members of the Local Membership of the time, place, and subject(s) of the Special meeting.
Section 2.04 Conduct of Meetings. The President shall conduct the meetings of the Executive Board in an informal manner, guided by the principles of fairness. Subjects to be acted on at meetings, should normally be placed on an agenda to be published by the Local’s Secretary and be posted at each work site not less than three days prior to the meeting. In the case of a Special Meeting as described in Section 2.03, the posting of the agenda may be waived by the President. Subjects may be placed on the agenda at the prior meeting or by any member giving notice to the Local Secretary. Nothing in this Section shall be construed as prohibiting the Executive Board from acting on subjects which are not on the Agenda. A quorum for meeting shall be three members present. Meetings of the Executive Board shall normally be open to attendance by any member of Local 673, but may be held in executive session at the discretion of the Executive Board.
ARTICLE 3
BARGAINING COMMITTEE
Section 3.01 The bargaining committee shall consist of 5 members of Local 673. The bargaining committee shall be selected by the Local’s Executive Board and my include members of the Local’s Executive Board.
Section 3.02 The bargaining committee shall be responsible for drafting the Local’s proposed Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). Upon completion of the draft MOU, the bargaining committee shall be responsible for presenting the draft MOU to the Executive Board. The Executive Board shall along with the bargaining committee present the draft MOU to the membership at the next regularly scheduled membership meeting or at a special called meeting of the membership.
Section 3.03 The bargaining committee shall be responsible for regularly communicating to the membership and Executive Board the progress of negotiations between the bargaining committee and the City.
Section 3.04 The bargaining committee shall be empowered to sign off on agreed upon articles at the negotiating table.
Section 3.05 Upon completion of negotiation with the City, having reached agreement on all articles included in the MOU, the bargaining committee shall present the MOU to the Executive Board. The Executive Board shall present the MOU to the membership at the next regularly scheduled meeting or at a special called meeting of the membership for the purpose of answering questions from the membership and for voting for ratification of the MOU. The Executive Board shall be responsible for notifying the membership of the date, time and place of the ratification vote.
ARTICLE 4
LOCAL OFFICERS
Section 4.01 President. The President shall be the Chief Executive Officer of Local 673, preside over all meetings of the membership, the Executive Board, and the Bargaining Committee. If the Secretary is absent, the President shall designate some other member of the Executive Board to perform the duties of the Secretary. The President shall be the primary spokesperson and representative in its dealings with the City and others; and is responsible to insure that the policies and interests of Local 673 are vigorously promoted. The President shall have the authority to authorize expenditures of not more than one hundred dollars ($100.00) for the benefit of Local 673, without prior approval of the Executive Board, unless the Executive Board shall impose restrictions upon this authority. The President shall be a member of the Executive Board and the Bargaining Committee. The President shall serve a three (3) year term. The President shall serve as the Locals delegate to the Unions National Convention and shall full authority to cast votes on behalf of the Local’s membership.
Section 4.02 Vice Presidents. The Local shall elect two (2) Vice Presidents. One Vice President shall be elected from any uniformed division of the Chattanooga Police Department represented by Local 673 and shall serve a three (3) year term. One Vice President shall be elected from any investigative division of the Chattanooga Police Department represented by Local 673 and shall serve a three (3) year term. Both Vice Presidents shall be members of the Executive Board and may serve on the Bargaining Committee. The President shall designate on a alternating basis one of the Vice Presidents to perform the duties of the President in his or her absence as well as other specific duties as assigned by the Executive Board. Both Vice Presidents may serve as delegates to the Unions National Convention.
Section 4.03 Treasurer. The Treasurer shall be responsible to maintain and account for the finances of Local 673 according to sound financial practices and such specific practices as may be specified by the Executive Board, and such other specific duties as may be assigned by the Executive Board. The Treasurer shall make a financial report at all regular meetings of the membership and the Executive Board. The Treasurer shall be a member of the Executive Board and may serve on the Bargaining Committee. The Treasurer shall serve a three (3) year term. The Treasurer may serve as a delegate to the Unions National Convention.
Section 4.04 Secretary. The Secretary shall be responsible to maintain and preserve the records of Local 673, except those which are the responsibility of the Treasurer; to make a record of all meetings of the Executive Board and the membership; to post any notices required by these by-laws; to arrange and supervise any elections or ballots; and such other specific duties as may be assigned by the Executive Board. The Secretary shall be a member of the Executive Board and may serve on the Bargaining Committee. The Secretary shall serve a three (3) year term. The Secretary may serve as a delegate to the Unions National Convention.
Section 4.05 Stewards. The Executive Board shall appoint Stewards at each work site represented by Local 673. Stewards shall be responsible for appointing Watch Representative on each shift at their respective work site. Stewards shall be responsible to inform officers and the Executive Board of matters of concerns of which they become aware, provide representation for members as necessary, assist the officers and Executive Board in protecting the interests of Local 673 and its members, and such other specific duties as may be assigned by the Executive Board. The Executive Board shall have the authority to fill vacant Steward positions or to remove a Steward for failing to carry out the Stewards duties. Stewards are not members of the Executive Board but may serve on the Bargaining Committee.
Section 4.06 Bargaining Committee Members. The Executive Board shall appoint members from Local 673 to represent the Local on its Bargaining Committee. Bargaining Committee members serve at the pleasure of the Executive Board.
Section 4.07 Term of Office. All elected offices of Local 673 shall be for a term of three (3) years, commencing on November 1, 2005 and ending every November 1st three (3) years thereafter.
Section 4.08 Vacancies. In the event that an elected office shall become vacant, and more than ninety days remain before the expiration of the term of such office, the Executive Board shall appoint a member of Local 673 to fill that vacancy, until the normal expiration of the term of office for that position.
ARTICLE 5
NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF OFFICERS
Section 5.01 Nominations for Elected Offices. A meeting shall be held on or with six (6) days of October 14th of each election year for the purpose of taking nominations for each elected office of Local 673, at a time and place determined by the Executive Board. Notice of the nominations meeting shall be prominently posted at each work site. The nominations notice shall contain the offices for which nominations will be taken and the time and place of the nominations meeting.
Section 5.02 At such nominations meeting, any member in good standing my be offered for nomination for elected office by being nominated and seconded by members in good standing. Such nomination is subject to the acceptance by the member nominated, and if such nominated member declines nomination shall not appear on the election ballot. Members may only be nominated for one office. Members nominated for more than one office shall notify the Locals Secretary which office they will compete for and withdraw in writing from nomination from other offices which they were nominated.
Section 5.03 Ballots. Ballots shall be mailed to members in good standing no later than 5 days following nominations. Ballots will be mailed to the members last known US Postal Service address.
Section 5.04 The election shall be by anonymous paper ballot through the United States Postal Service, containing the names of duly nominated candidates and the office for which they were nominated. The Election may be monitored by a member of the National Union.
Section 5.05 Counting of Votes. The unopened Ballots will be received by the Local Union Secretary and delivered by the Secretary to a meeting of the membership for opening and counting. The Secretary shall be responsible for posting meeting notices in a prominent location at each work site announcing the counting of the Ballots and the time and location of the meeting. At that meeting the Ballot envelopes shall be opened and the votes shall be counted and the results announced to the membership. The duly nominated candidate who receives the most votes fo each office shall be considered elected.
ARTICLE 6
MEMBERSHIP IN THE UNION AND MEETING OF MEMBERS
Section 6.01 Membership. Any sworn Police Officer of the Chattanooga Police Department holding the rank of Sergeant or below is eligible for membership in Local 673.
Section 6.02 Member in Good Standing. Any member of the Chattanooga Police Department holding the rank of Sergeant of below who has signed and authorized a payroll dues deduction card for Local 673 is considered a member in good standing. Any member in good standing who withdraws dues authorization authority with the City shall loose their member in good standing status and shall not be eligible for union benefits or hold a Local Union elected office while not a member in good standing. Members in good standing may also have their good standing status changed as a result of Discipline by vote of the membership.
Section 6.03 Regular Meetings. The Executive Board of Local 673 shall establish a time and date for regular membership meetings. These meetings shall be held on the 2nd Monday of each month. Such meetings shall be at the same time and place each and every month.
Section 6.04 Special Meetings. Upon the request of the Executive Board, President, or petition of 25 members in good standing of the Local, a special meeting of the members of Local 673 shall be called. Notice of such special meeting shall be prominently posted not less than seven days, or in the event of an emergency such time as is practicable, prior to the meeting and shall contain the purpose, time, date and place of the meeting.
Section 6.05 Conduct of Meetings. The President, or whoever is empowered by these by-laws to act in his absence, shall preside at all meetings. The Meetings shall be conducted using Roberts Rules of Order. The conduct and format of such meetings shall be informal and fair to all persons and points of view. The agenda of regular meetings shall include a recitation of the minutes of the previous regular meeting by the Secretary, the Treasures report, and the President’s report. At the conclusion of each such report, members shall be permitted to ask questions and make comments. Thereafter, members shall be invited to ask questions and make comments regarding other subjects as they wish. Any member may cause a vote of the meeting for a resolution upon any subject by motion for such vote which is seconded by another member.
Thereupon, comment and discussion shall be restricted to the subject of the proposed resolution until such comment and discussion is ended, or in the opinion of the presiding officer such comment and discussion should be limited, at which time the vote shall be taken and recorded. Such vote upon a resolution shall be given due consideration by the Executive Board and officers but shall not be binding upon it.
ARTICLE 7
REFERENDA
Section 7.01 Upon a vote of the Executive Board, or the written petition of twenty five (25) members of the Local, any question of policy, expenditure of Local 673 funds, or amendment of these by-laws may be submitted to the members for a vote by referendum. The vote of the members upon such matter shall be binding upon the Executive Board and officers.
Section 7.02 Any petition pursuant to Section 7.01 above, shall clearly express the question to be decided by the members calling for an affirmative or negative response, shall in clued the question upon any list of signatures, and shall be presented to the President or Secretary.
Section 7.03 The Secretary shall verify the signatures, and if there are twenty five (25) valid signatures, shall certify the question for referendum.
Section 7.04 Upon certification of a question involving the expenditure of Local 673 funds, no further action shall be taken on the matter which shall impede the implementation of the vote of the members, except in the case of emergency until the question is voted upon by the members.
Section 7.05 Upon certification, a copy of the question shall be mailed to each member at their last known address, and at the same time, notify members of the time and place of voting on the question, not less than seven days prior to the date of voting.
ARTICLE 8
RATIFICATION OF MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING
Section 8.01 The Bargaining Committee shall, in its discretion, submit proposed agreements to the members for ratification. Subject to law, the Bargaining Committee shall make a positive, negative, or no recommendation to the members, as it deems appropriate.
Section 8.02 Not less than seven (7) days prior to any ratification vote, or a shorter time if circumstances so require, the Bargaining Committee shall distribute a written summary of the terms of the proposed agreement, and conduct a meeting of members, at which time the members shall have the right to ask questions and make comments regarding the terms of the proposed agreement.
Section 8.02 The Executive Committee along with the Bargaining Committee shall call a special meeting for the purpose of voting on Ratification of the agreement. The Local Secretary shall post notices announcing the ratification vote in prominent locations at each work site and shall list the time, date and place of the vote.
ARTICLE 9
DISCIPLINE OF MEMBERS
Section 9.01 Offenses. It shall be misconduct for any member of Local 673 to engage in any act listed in Section _____of Article _____ of the National Constitution and By-laws of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers.
Section 9.02 Charges and Proceedings. The procedure for initiating and adjudication charges of misconduct shall be as provided in Article ____ of the Constitution and By-laws of the International Brotherhood of Police Officers.
ARTICLE 10
REVENUES
Section 10.01 Dues. The membership dues for Local 673 shall be the amount established by the International Brotherhood of Police Officers, plus any additional amount established by Local 673. After the effective date of these by-laws, any additional dues established by Local 673 must be approved by a referendum as provided by Article 7, of these by-laws.
Section 10.02 Additional Revenues. Local 673 may engage in such lawful raising of additional revenue as is approved by the Executive Board.
Section 10.03 Expenditures. Except as provided in Section 4.01 of these by-laws, any expenditure of funds of less than $501.00 must be approved by the Executive Board. Expenditures of more than $501.00 must be approved by the membership at a regular meeting or special called meeting.
Section 10.04 Funds. The funds of Local 673 shall be placed in such accounts as shall provide maximum benefit to Local 673. The Executive Board shall determine which accounts, and in what amounts to place the funds of Local 673.
Section 10.05 Bonding of Officers. The President, Treasurer or any other member of Local 673 who handles the funds of Local 673 shall be bonded, with a recognized surety company for an amount not less than fifty thousand dollars ($50,000.00).
ARTICLE 11
AMENDMENT OF BY-LAWS
Section 11.01 These by-laws may be amended by a referendum pursuant to Article 7 of these by-laws.
ARTICLE 12
INTERPRETATION AND APPLICATION OF BY-LAWS
Section 12.01 These By-Laws shall be interpreted and applied by the Executive Board or by a referendum pursuant to Article 7 of these by-laws.