PVEA CONSTITUTION AND BY-LAWS

• Adopted April 1998
• CONSTITUTION
• Download a Word Doc of this Constitution

ARTICLE I: NAME

The name of this Association shall be the Perkiomen Valley Education Association/PSEA/NEA (hereinafter referred to as "Association").

ARTICLE II: PURPOSE

Section I. The purpose of this Association shall be to promote the general educational welfare of the Perkiomen Valley School District; to protect and advance the interests and general welfare of its members; to foster professional zeal; to advance educational standards; and to establish and maintain helpful, friendly relations with all persons interested in maintaining quality education in Perkiomen Valley School.

Section II. To enable members to speak with a common voice on matters pertaining to the teaching profession and present their individual and common interests before the School Board and other legal authorities, pertinent community groups, and the news media.

Section III. To help other education associations, such as PSEA and NEA, carry out objectives designed to improve quality education.

ARTICLE III: MEMBERSHIP

Section 1- Membership in the Association may consist of active membership and such other types of membership as provided in the Association's Bylaws. All members shall subscribe to the purpose of the Association and PSEA as set forth in the Constitution and Bylaws.

Section II. Active membership shall be available to persons actively employed by the Perkiomen Valley School District and in the bargaining unit represented by the Association.

Section 111- All rights, title, and interests of a member in and to the property of the Association shall end upon termination of membership.

Section IV. As this Association is affiliated with the Pennsylvania State Education Association and the National Education Association, a person shall not be eligible for membership in the Association unless he or she maintains unified membership in PSEA and NEA.

ARTICLE IV: OFFICERS

Section I. The officers of this Association shall be the President, the Vice-President, the Secretary, and the Treasurer.

Section 11- Officers shall serve a two-year term. All officers may stand for re-election without an intervening term.

Section III. Election of officers shall be held in the month of May in the second year of the existing officers' terms. Elected candidates will assume office following the elections and will attend a transition meeting in June. These elected officers will assume their responsibilities at the end of June in the year in which they were elected.

Section IV- The names of all officers and their addresses shall be filed by the Association secretary with the Mid-eastern Region branch office of the Pennsylvania State Education Association immediately upon their election.

ARTICLE V: EXECUTIVE BOARD

Section 1- The Executive Board shall consist of the officers of the Association and the immediate past president of PVEA. The Executive Board shall be the executive authority of the Association.

Section 1I. An officer of the Association may be recalled from office by two-thirds vote of the entire membership of the Association. Recall shall be initiated by a recall petition signed by twenty-five percent of the membership.

ARTICLE VI: REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL

Section I. The legislative and policy-forming body of the Association shall be the Representative Council.

Section II. The Representative Council shall consist of the Executive Board, one or more faculty representatives from each school, and the chairpersons of standing committees.

Section III. Any member of the Association who is not a member of the Representative Council may attend its meeting(s), may be recognized by the chair, but shall not have the right to vote.

Section IV. The composition of the Representative Council shall reflect ethnic minority representation in proportion to the Association's ethnic minority membership.

ARTICLE VII: MEETINGS

Section I. Executive Board: The Executive Board shall meet when called by the President or at the request of two (2) members of the Executive Board.

Section II. Representative Council: The Representative Council shall meet monthly. An agenda for each meeting shall be prepared and circulated to all members of the Council so that representatives have time to discuss it with their faculty members in advance of the Council meeting.

Section I11. Special Meetings: Special meetings of the Representative Council may be held at the call of the President or upon written request to the Executive Board from one (1) building representative. Business to come before special meetings must be stated in the call, which shall be sent in writing to each representative. Only business stated in the call shall be included on the agenda.

Section IV. General Membership Meetings: When appropriate, the Executive Board shall arrange meetings of the members for the discussion of professional issues. The Executive Board shall notify the general membership of the time and place of the meetings at least ten (10) days in advance, except in cases deemed an emergency as determined by the Executive Board. Additional meetings of the general membership may be held at the call of the President or upon written petition of twenty-five (25) members of the Association.

Section v. Contract Ratification: A special meeting of those members who are members of the bargaining unit shall be called by the President for the purpose of reviewing any contract negotiated under the provisions of the Pennsylvania Public Employee Relations Act. Approval of the contract shall be voted upon at a separate meeting to be held no sooner than forty-eight (48) hours after the meeting at which the contract is presented and reviewed. A majority vote of those members present shall be required to ratify or approve any such contract. A voice vote will be assumed unless an alternate method of voting is approved by a majority of the members present.

ARTICLE VIII. QUORUM

Section 1. A quorum for Representative Council meetings shall consist of the members present at any such Council meeting.

Section II. A quorum for General Membership meetings shall consist of the members present at any such General Membership meeting.

ARTICLE IX. MEMBERSHIP YEAR

This Association shall have the same membership year as PSEA and NEA.

ARTICLE X. AMENDMENTS

This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the membership through a secret ballot.

ARTICLE XI. BY-LAWS

By-laws not inconsistent with the Constitution shall be adopted by a two-thirds majority vote of the membership through a secret ballot.

BY-LAWS ARTICLE I. MEMBERSHIP

Active membership shall be available to any person holding educational certification and who is by law a member of the Association's Bargaining Unit.

ARTICLE II. DUES

The annual dues of this Association shall be set by the Representative Council.

ARTICLE III. POWERS AND DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Section I. President: The President shall have the following powers and duties:

1. To represent the Association spokesperson on policy matters; 2. To serve as chairperson of the Representative Council; 3. To prepare an agenda for each Representative Council meeting; 4. To serve as an ex-officio member without vote on all committees; 5. To report at each meeting of the Representative Council to his or her activities; 6. To sign jointly with the Treasurer for any disbursement from the Association's funds; 7. To nominate the members of a II Association committees and appoint committee chairs; 8. To perform such functions as may be approved by the Representative Council or which are customarily performed by the president of an association including the right to delegate certain duties to the officers.

Section II. Vice-President: duties:

The Vice-President shall have the following powers and

1. To perform the duties of the President in the absence of the President; 2. To perform such duties as are delegated by the President.

Section 111- Secretary: The Secretary shall have the following powers and duties:

1. To keep accurate minutes of all meetings of the Executive Board, Representative Council, and General Membership meetings; 2. To prepare such minutes for reproduction and distribution; 3. To maintain official files; 4. To assist the President with Association correspondence.

Section IV. Treasurer:

The Treasurer shall have the following powers and duties'

1. To serve in the preparation of the Association's annual budget; 2. To receive all monies of the Association and to payout the same upon order of the Representative Council; 3. To report to the Representative Council all Association receipts and disbursements; 4. To ensure that an audit is conducted each year of the Association's books and records; 5. To perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Representative Council.

ARTICLE IV. POWER OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

The Executive Board shall be responsible for the management of the Association and shall carry out policies established by the Representative Council.

ARTICLE V. POWERS OF THE REPRESENTATIVE COUNCIL

The Representative Council shall have the following powers and duties:

1. To initiate general policies of the Association; 2. To approve the Association's budget and filling of vacancies; 3. To set the Association dues; 4. To accept powers not delegated to the Executive Board, officers, or any other groups within the Association.

ARTICLE VI. BUILDING REPRESENTATIVES

In each school building in the District embraced by the membership of their Association, faculty members who are members in good standing of this Association shall elect to the Representative Council for a term corresponding to that of the President one Building Representative for each fifteen (15) members or major fraction thereof, save that there shall be at least one Representative elected from each building. Election and seating of Representatives shall correspond to the election of officers of the Association.

Section I. The Building Representatives shall have the following powers and duties:

1. To call meetings of Association members in their buildings to discuss Association business; 2. To investigate and respond to member complaints; 3. To assist in enrolling members in the Association; 4. To serve as a communication link between members and the Representative Council; 5. To establish such committees in the building as are necessary.

Section II. Membership:

Building Representatives shall maintain unified membership in PSEA and NEA.

ARTICLE VII. ELECTIONS

Section 1- Nominations: A Committee on Elections, appointed by the President, with the approval of the Executive Board, shall conduct the election of officers at the time periods designated in Article IV, Section 3. Any member who has actively served as a member of the Representative Council shall be eligible for election to an office of the Association. A slate of officers shall be prepared by the Committee and presented to the Executive Board and general membership at least thirty (30) days before the election. Suggestions for nominations of candidates shall be taken from each building faculty under procedures outlined by the Elections Committee. The slate of officers presented shall be posted in each building thirty (30) days prior to the election. If nominations are conducted at a general meeting, nominations from the floor will be accepted with the consent of the person nominated. All elections shall be by secret ballot. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected.

Section II. Balloting: Members shall vote for officers by secret ballot in accordance with procedures developed by the Committee on Elections and approved by the Executive Board. The Committee on Elections shall report results to the President, who shall cause them to be published. New officers shall be installed in accordance with the time schedule set forth in Article IV, Section 3.

ARTICLE VIII. STANDING COMMITTEES

Section I. Relation to the Executive Board: The Executive Board shall assist the President to appoint members of the standing committees.

Section 11. Standing Committees and Duties:

( a) Welfare Committee: The Welfare Committee shall review the existing salary and monetary fringe benefit program; shall study local, state, and national economic facts pertinent to negotiations; shall prepare a survey to be distributed to the membership to determine their requirements; shall develop the monetary portions of a proposed package to be submitted to the Board of School Directors by the Association's Negotiating Team; and shall be available for consultation during negotiations. The chairperson of the Welfare Committee shall be a member of the Negotiating Team.

( b) Instruction and Professional Development Committee: The IPD Committee shall promote the education objectives of the Association, assist in locating in-service programs and programs for professional development and assist the District, students, parents and other interested parties in improving the District's educational program.

( c ) Professional Rights and Responsibilities Committee: This committee shall assist and advise grievants; process grievances through all steps short of arbitration, shall make a recommendation to the Representative Council as to whether a grievance should go to arbitration, and shall adopt a formal grievance review procedure for use by the local. This committee shall assist in informing members as to the PSEA Code of Ethics and shall provide assistance to the local regarding controversies and conflicts. It shall assist local members upon request regarding possible violations of the PSEA Code of Ethics.

( d ) Public Relations Committee: This Committee shall seek to develop public understanding of the purposes and programs of the Association. It shall assist the Association in working cooperatively with parents and civic and social organizations. The Committee shall be responsible for the Association newsletter and public relations with the press, radio, and television. It shall assist in promoting American Education week. The Committee shall also assist in developing Membership Promotion Materials.

( e ) Membership Committee: This Committee shall organize and conduct the Unified Membership Campaign. The Committee shall work with the Building Representatives in conducting the membership campaign. The committee shall develop programs for the orientation of new teachers to the community, the school system, and the Association.

( f ) Legislative Committee: This Committee shall have concern for and keep abreast of local, state, and national legislation affecting the interests of the Association and its members. It will also make legislative contacts as requested by the state or national organization. It will assist in obtaining membership contribution to PACE, in the registration of voters, and in general assist in the passage of legislation favorable to the Association.

( g ) Social Committee: This Committee shall organize social activities for the welfare of members and to promote fellowship in the Association.

ARTICLE IX. SPECIAL COMMITTEES

Each year the President shall appoint an Audit Committee, Budget Committee, and such other special committees as may be necessary, and shall operate according to the rules approved by the Executive Board. No officer of the Association shall serve on either the Elections Committee or the Audit Committee.

ARTICLE X. THE NEGOTIATING TEAM

The President, with the approval of the Executive Board, shall appoint five ( 5) o r seven(7) members to a Negotiating Team. This team shall then elect a Chief Negotiator. The Team, together with the Executive Board, shall prepare a negotiations package for the Team to present to the Board of School Directors or their designated representative(s). The components of this package will have been prepared by the Welfare, IPD, and PA&A Committees. The Negotiating Team alone, after due consultation with concerned Association members, shall determine strategy for negotiations. The Team, working with the PA Committee, will keep members as informed as possible on the status of negotiations. The Negotiating Team is automatically disbanded upon ratification and signature of a contract but will remain available in case of any questions relating to negotiations.

ARTICLE XI. DELEGATES

Section 1- Delegates to the Conventions of the National Education Association (NEA), the Pennsylvania State Education Association (PSEA), and the Mid-eastern Region of the PSEA shall be elected by the Representative Council and in accordance with the numbers prescribed by the State and Region.

Section II. Unless otherwise determined by the Representative Council, the President of the Association shall be a delegate to the NEA, PSEA, and the Regional Conventions.

ARTICLE XII. AUTHORITY

Robert's Rules of Order, latest edition, shall be the parliamentary authority for the Association on all questions not covered by the Constitution and By-laws and such standing rules as the Representative Council may adopt.

ARTICLE XIII. AMENDMENT

These By-laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the membership by a secret ballot at any regular meeting of the general membership or at a special meeting of the general membership called for this purpose, provided that the proposed amendment(s) have been posted in each building at least two weeks prior to the vote.