EACC Bylaws - Education Association of Charles County

By Laws of the Education Association of Charles County

ARTICLE I-PREAMBLE

We, the certificated personnel of the public schools of Charles County, Maryland, establish this Association to promote the highest standards of education in our county by the cooperative and independent action of a professional organization. We are concerned with the welfare of certificated employees as it affects the quality of education. All of our immediate goals are to improve the working conditions of the certificated employees to enable employees to focus on the welfare of public-school children in Charles County.

ARTICLE II-NAME

The name of the organization shall be the Education Association of Charles County. It shall also be known as the EACC.

ARTICLE III-AFFILIATION

This Association shall be affiliated with the Maryland State Education Association (MSEA) and with the National Education Association (NEA).

ARTICLE IV-PURPOSE AND OBJECTIVES

The purpose of the EACC shall be:

Section 1: to pursue the health, professional and economic welfare of educators and to achieve a public education system that promotes educator, student, and community empowerment in the pursuit of individualized educational opportunity for all students.

Section 2: to develop a united membership that works proactively in achieving the overall welfare of educators and students.

Section 3: to communicate and involve members and community in achieving employment and educational objectives.

Section 4: to analyze, develop and promote educational and employment policies conducive to instruction.

Section 5: to unify and strengthen school employees to speak with a common voice on issues pertaining to education and to represent individual and common concerns of members before the Board of Education and all appropriate bodies elected and appointed.

Section 6: to develop and promote a continuing program to secure and maintain better employment benefits, uniform practices, and improvements in terms and conditions of employment.

ARTICLE V-MEMBERSHIP

Section 1. There shall be two classes of membership in the Association: Regular and Retired.

Retired members may elect to pay dues annually to belong to the NEA/MSEA/EACC or participate in the one-time lump sum lifetime membership program through NEA to secure lifetime membership in all three organizations.

Annual and Retired life members may not vote or hold office in EACC, but may enjoy all other benefits of membership, including attendance at meetings, professional development, publications, and other social events.

Active membership in the Association shall be open to certificated and conditionally certificated professional employees and ROTC instructors employed by the Charles County Board of Education. Other categories of membership may be determined by the Board of Directors.
A retired member shall be appointed by a simple majority of the executive board to serve as the liaison between the Board of Directors and retired members. The retired liaison will not be considered a board member and will not have the right to vote on matters of the EACC, but may vote on the selection of representatives for retirees at the state level.
Annual and lifetime retired membership shall be open to retired certificated educators provided the retirees were active members in the EACC the year prior to retiring.

Section 2. Membership shall be continuous until the member leaves Charles County Public School system, resigns from the Association, or fails to pay membership dues. The membership year shall be September 1 to August 31. A member may withdraw from Association membership by notifying the Association via email or written letter. Notifications received after September 15^th will remove the member from active status; however, dues deductions will continue through the end of the membership year.

Section 3. Dues of the Association shall be determined by the Representative Assembly.

Section 3A. The Budget Committee shall present a dues recommendation in their proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year for the Representative Assembly’s approval.

Section 4. Annual dues for a person eligible for regular membership who is regularly employed fifty (50) percent or less of the normal schedule for a full-time faculty member shall be one half (1/2) the dues of a regular member.

Section 5. Active members have the right to nominate and vote in Association elections, hold Association office, be active in Association committees, have their voice heard on Association matters, and attend and participate in the deliberations of Association meetings as defined in the Bylaws and Association policies and procedures.

ARTICLE VI-OFFICERS

Section 1. The officers of this Association shall be President, Vice President, Secretary, and Treasurer. Only active members of the Association may hold these offices or vote in the election of officers.

Section 2. The terms of office for Officers shall be three (3) years beginning July 1 following their election, and shall continue through June 30 of the year in which a properly qualified successor is elected. Officers shall serve no more than two consecutive terms in a position to which they are duly elected. In the event no properly qualified successor files to run for a given office by the established deadline, the current officer shall continue to serve until the Representative Assembly can fill the position per Section 6.

Section 3. To be eligible to run for office in the Association, a member must be current on their dues and obligations during that year in which the election is held and remain in good standing throughout their term in office.

Section 4. To be eligible to run for election to the office of President, the member must be in good standing with no financial obligations or debts to the Association and must be a member of the EACC at the time of the nomination and for the two years immediately prior to the nomination. A candidate for President must be a current or previous member of the Representative Assembly or be or have been an active member of an EACC Standing Committee.

Section 5. To be eligible for an office other than the President in this Association, the member must be in good standing with no financial obligations or debts to the Association and be a member of the EACC at the time of the nomination and for the two years immediately prior. A candidate for an officer position must be a current or previous member of the Representative Assembly or be or have been an active member of an EACC Standing Committee.

Section 6. All officers must remain members of the Association during their term of office.

Section 7. The Vice President shall fill a vacancy in the office of President until the next regularly scheduled election. A vacancy in any other elected office shall be filled by the Representative Assembly until the next regularly scheduled election.

Section 8. One year or less of a term of office does not constitute one of the two consecutive terms to which an elected officer of the EACC is limited.

Section 9. Disability of Release-Time President

If the President is released by the Board of Education to serve as President and is receiving a salary from the Association via reimbursement to the Board of Education, it is recommended that an insurance policy shall be maintained by the President to cover the President’s salary should the President become medically unable to complete the President’s term. If the President does not obtain such a policy the President understands that should the need arise to vacate their position for medical reasons the Association will only reimburse the Board of Education for the salary and associated costs of their successor, and they will be reassigned to Charles County Public Schools in a medical leave status.

ARTICLE VII-DUTIES OF OFFICERS

Section 1. The President shall be the full time Executive Officer of the Association.

The President shall preside at all meetings of this Association and shall call special meetings when necessary.
The President shall be an ex officio member of all committees except for the Nominations, Elections, and Credentials Committee.
The President shall appoint all committees except the Nomination, Election, and Credentials Committee and give a charge of duties to each standing and special committee of the Association.
The President shall serve as Delegate to the MSEA and the NEA Representative Assembly as well as Chairperson of the Delegation to the MSEA/NEA Conventions.
Except as provided for in Section 3 the President shall be responsible for all records of the Association.
The President shall be responsible for having the books audited by a CPA annually.
The President shall prepare, with the advice and assistance of the Board of Directors, the agendas for Board meetings, Representative Assembly meetings, and General membership meetings.

Upon the election of a President-elect, the outgoing President shall facilitate a transition of office. The outgoing President may serve as an advisor to the President and the Board of Directors as requested by the President as an ex-officio member for the first year of the new President’s term.
The President shall serve as spokesperson for the Association on policy matters.
The President shall report at each meeting of the Executive Board and Representative Assembly as to his/her activities.
The President has flexibility to create their daily schedule based on the business needs of the Association. This includes the ability to adjust their workday schedule to account for evening meetings, early morning meetings, or weekend attendance at functions to conduct association business or to serve as the duly elected leader of the organization at MSEA and NEA activities as needed. For the purposes of transparency and accountability, any days not worked for reasons of illness, bereavement, or of a personal nature should be submitted through the standard leave process used by all CCPS employees. The President shall inform the Board of Directors when absent from Association business for more than one workday.
EACC Representation on the MSEA Endorsement Council at the Spring RA shall be the EACC President (or their designee) and the EACC GR Chair. If the GR Chair is not a delegate to the MSEA Spring RA, the President will designate another delegate to serve on the MSEA Endorsement Council;
The President shall sign jointly with the Treasurer or Vice President for any disbursement from the Association’s funds. In the event of a vacancy or unavailability in the office of Treasurer or Vice President, the Secretary shall sign jointly disbursements from the Association’s funds.
The President shall carry out other duties customarily performed by the president of an Association.

Section 2. The Vice President shall perform the duties of the President whenever the President is absent.

The Vice President shall assume the office of President should the office become vacant until the next regularly scheduled election.
The Vice-President shall attend monthly representative assemblies, monthly executive board meetings, and serve as a liaison for standing committees.
The Vice President shall assist the President with executive duties as necessary.

Section 3. The Secretary shall keep complete records of all official proceedings of this Association, and shall distribute copies of such proceedings as directed by the President.

Section 4. The Treasurer is responsible for managing the process of the receipt and depositing of association funds in the bank. Funds shall be disbursed within the limits of the Budget only with the signatures of two (2) of the following: the Treasurer, the Vice President or the President.

The Treasurer shall keep records of deposits, income, and expenditures by budget category. The Treasurer shall assist in the preparation of the Association’s annual budget and prepare a monthly financial statement of the funds of the Association.
The Treasurer shall be a member of the Membership Committee and of the Budget Committee.
The Treasurer shall report to the Board of Directors and the Representative Assembly.
The Treasurer shall ensure that tax and other required governmental forms are prepared and submitted in a timely manner; and
The Treasurer shall carry out other duties customarily performed by the treasurer of an Association.
The treasurer shall present the yearly audit of the association’s finances to the Board of Directors at the September meeting.

ARTICLE VIII-REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY

Section 1. The Representative Assembly shall consist of the Officers of the Association, the members at large of the Board of Directors, and the representatives from each school or unit.

The Administrative and Supervisory staff of the Board of Education shall be considered as one unit.
Each school, unit, or worksite shall be entitled to one or more representatives according to the number of its staff who are current members of the Association.
Each school, unit, or worksite with fewer than 38 members shall be allotted three Association Representatives. For the purposes of this calculation membership totals shall be those of January 1 of the year of election.
For schools, units, or worksites with greater than 38 members, there shall be one Association Representative for every 15 members or major fraction thereof. For the purposes of this calculation membership totals shall be those of January 1 of the year of election.
The Association members in each school, unit, or worksite shall elect their representative by September 1 of each year. Additional representatives may be elected if membership counts support additional representation.
Each school, unit or worksite shall also elect one alternate for each representative.
Every attempt shall be made to ensure the ethnic minority representation within the Representative Assembly shall be equal to the percentage of ethnic minority membership within the Association.
Association Representatives shall be elected at the building/worksite through open nominations and by secret ballot or by acclamation when only one candidate is nominated for a position. The President may appoint Association Representatives to serve at their building/worksite until the next regularly scheduled election.

Section 2. Representatives shall be elected for a term of three (3) years and upon election shall be deemed as a “duly elected” Representative of that school/unit. Representatives shall serve from September 1 to August 31 and may succeed themselves.

Section 3. No member of the Board of Directors of the Association may serve as a representative from their school / unit or worksite.

Section 4. Only active members of the Association may vote for and be elected as Association Representative.

Section 5. All legislative authority of this Association except where otherwise stated shall be vested in the Representative Assembly. In addition to legislative responsibility the representatives from each unit shall be responsible for communication between the unit or worksite and the Association Representatives shall also be responsible for the enrollment of members of the Association.

Section 6. The Representative Assembly, comprised of members of the Association, derives its power from, and shall be responsible to the membership. The duties of the Representative Assembly include:

the adopting of rules and the agenda governing its meetings,
the establishing of Association policies and objectives;
the enactment of such measures as may be necessary to achieve the objectives of the Association;
the adopting of the annual budget and the establishing of dues,
filling of vacancies as specified herein; and
adopting guidelines for nominations and elections.

Section 7. Representatives shall present to the Representative Assembly petitions, proposals, or resolutions at the request of a majority of the members they represent.

Section 8. The Representative Assembly shall meet regularly each month from September to May on dates as set by the body at its first meeting. Special meetings may be called by the President and Board of Directors. Any member may attend meetings of the Representative Assembly and speak to a motion, but only duly elected representatives and Board of Directors members may vote.

Section 9. A quorum of the Representative Assembly shall consist of one third of the duly elected reps.

Section 10. All appointive bodies of the Association shall be designated by the term “committee”. All appointive Committees shall be established or discontinued as provided by in Article XIV section 1.

Section 11. The Representative Assembly shall exercise final authority in all matters of the Association by amending the Bylaws in accordance with Article XIX.

Section 12. Robert’s Rules of Order, Latest Revision, shall be the governing authority on all matters of procedure not otherwise provided for in the Bylaws.

ARTICLE IX BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Section 1. There shall be a representative body with full executive power to be known as the Board of Directors. This Board shall consist of the elected officers plus six (6) members at large elected for a term of three years each. Members-at-large shall serve no more than two consecutive terms Only active members of the Association may hold the position of member at large.

Section 2. In the event that the ethnic minority representation on the Board of Directors is not equal to the percentage of ethnic minority membership within the association, the Executive Board shall be expanded by additional members-at-large to meet the percentage. In this case, the Representative Assembly shall vote after appropriate nominations are sought in the special election. This seat will be held, for one term of three years.

Section 3A. A retired EACC member shall be appointed by a simple majority of the Board of Directors to serve as the liaison between retired members and the Board of Directors. The retired member shall not have the right to vote on the Board of Directors. The retired member on the Board will serve for a term of three years. The Retired EACC member on the Executive Board shall serve no more than two consecutive terms.

Section 3B. A Unit II member with supervisory/evaluative responsibilities shall be elected to fill one of the six (6) member at large positions. In the event that no one runs for this member at large position, the position will remain vacant until the next election.

Section 4. A simple majority of filled positions shall constitute a quorum at the Board of Directors meetings.

Section 5. The Board of Directors shall:

be responsible for the administrative affairs and management of the Association.

review all expenditures as adopted in the budget by the Representative Assembly.
have the power to adjust expenditures within major categories not to exceed five (5) percent of the total budget.
carry out the policies of the Representative Assembly and report its transactions to the Assembly and recommend policies for consideration by the Representative Assembly.
aid in the implementation of Policies established by the Representative Assembly and the Board of Directors;
confirm the appointments of the Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of all internal EACC committees made by the President.
shall receive the minutes and/or reports from all standing, special, ad hoc and district-wide committee meetings;
call for special elections when necessary.

Section 6. The Board of Directors may make a binding decision on the Association and may enter into contracts in the name of the Association, provided such actions are not contrary to the policies established by the Representative Assembly.

Section 7. The Board of Directors shall develop and implement guidelines of meetings. It shall meet at least one week prior to the regular meeting of the Representative Assembly or when called by the President.

Section 8. The Board of Directors shall be authorized to expend funds within the limits of the adopted budget.

Section 9. The Board of Directors shall set goals for the Association, and upon approval of the Representative Assembly, proceed to implement them.

Section 10. A vacancy in any Board of Directors office (officers or at large members) other than President shall be filled by the Representative Assembly until the next regularly scheduled election.

Section 11. If a decision is required in an emergency and the directors cannot meet face-to-face, an on-line conference may be held with at least 24 hours’ notice. After provision of information to, and discussion by, the Board of Directors may vote electronically. Minutes of the meeting will be kept and approved at the next regular meeting.

ARTICLE X-GENERAL MEETINGS

Section 1. Special meetings of the membership may be called by the President at the request of the Representative Assembly or on the written petition of any 100 Association members.

ARTICLE XI ELECTIONS

Section lA. The committee on Nominations, Elections, and Credentials (NEC) shall provide for the election and certification of:

the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and six (6) members at large to the Executive Board,
Delegates to the MSEA Representative Assembly (except as specified in Section 4),
Delegates to the NEA Representative Assembly and
one (1) Representative to MSEA Fund for Children and Public Education as designated by the MSEA Guidelines,

Said election shall be by ballot of the entire active membership in conjunction with the MSEA elections calendar.

The NEC Committee serves as the final arbiter of all elections in the Association.

In addition, the NEC Committee shall also provide for any other votes by membership except the vote on the Negotiated Agreement, which is facilitated by the Negotiations Team with the support of the EACC Administrative Assistant.

Section 1B. Members of the NEC committee:

shall not sit on the Executive Board, be a building representative, or be an officer of the Association.
may not run for EACC office while they serve on the NEC Committee.
may run for MSEA Delegate or NEA Delegate during an election cycle. NEC Committee members who choose to run for local MSEA Delegate or local NEA Delegate shall recuse themselves from oversight on the elections processes involving MSEA Delegate and NEA Delegate candidates during that election cycle.

Section 2. The Committee shall announce the results of the election to the Representative Assembly at the first RA after the conclusion of the election window.

Section 3. Elections for an office of the Association or Member at Large of the Board of Directors shall also be considered to be an election to the position of Delegate to the Representative Assembly of the Maryland State Education Association for the duration of such term of office. All remaining vacancies for Delegate and Alternates to the Maryland State Education Association Convention shall be chosen by the entire membership in the annual general elections.

Section 4. Elected officers shall be introduced at the May Representative Assembly and shall officially take office on July 1, and shall remain in office until June 30, of the year in which their term expires, after the election of a properly qualified successor.

Section 5. Voting shall be conducted via electronic ballot on-line. The Committee on Nominations, Elections, and Credentials shall make provisions for a secret ballot election by the entire membership and facilitate and verify all elections results.

Section 6. The NEC Committee shall prepare guidelines for the nomination certification of officers, delegates and other representatives on the Board of Directors. The guidelines and an election calendar shall be presented annually to the Representative Assembly for review and adoption. The guidelines shall include but not be limited to:

open nominations,

provision for the distribution and collection of nominating forms and preparation of the candidate slate,
provision for the publication of the list of nominations prior to and during the election,
provision for secret ballot election,
provision for conformity with the one-person, one-vote rule;
provision for tally of the ballots, and
provision of the officers and representatives of the Board of Directors by a majority of the valid ballots cast or by acclamation where only one candidate is nominated.

Section 7. Special elections may be called by the Board of Directors and conducted by the NEC Committee.

Section 8. The Committee shall be the final arbiter of election disputes. Said disputes must be presented to the Committee within five (5) workdays of the announcement of the results.

ARTICLE XII-DELEGATES TO MSEA AND NEA CONVENTIONS

Section l. Delegates elected to the conventions of the MSEA and the NEA must be members of the Association during the year in which they serve as delegates. The President shall be a delegate to both assemblies. Every effort shall be made to ensure that the ethnic minority representation on the delegation shall be equal to the percentage of ethnic minority membership within the association.

Section 2. Delegates to both MSEA and NEA conventions are required to attend all scheduled caucus meetings, all business sessions, and vote at appointed times. Delegates are expected to stay for the entirety of the convention.

Section 3. Reimbursement for expenses incurred at conventions requires proper documentation be provided per EACC policy.

Section 4. Failure to fulfill the duties of a delegate as listed above will result in sanctions to be decided by the Executive Board.

ARTICLE XIII-PARLIAMENTARY AUTHORITY

Section 1. The President shall appoint, as needed, a parliamentarian who shall serve as advisor to the President in matters concerning these bylaws and all parliamentary matters.

Section 2. Unless inconsistent with these By laws and special Rules of Order, ROBERT’s RULES OF ORDER, latest revision, shall prevail at all meetings of the Board of Directors, Representative Assembly, and committees of the Association.

ARTICLE XIV-COMMITTEES

Section 1.

Standing Committees may include any member of the Association. Standing Committee membership should be reflective of the overall Association membership. The President shall appoint, with the approval of the Board of Directors, a Chairperson and Vice Chairperson for each Standing Committee.

Section 1A. Standing Committees shall include: the Government Relations (GR), Budget, Membership, Instructional & Professional Development (IPD), Minority Affairs/ and Human Civil Rights (MAHCR), and Early Career Educator (ECE) committees. Standing committees are critical and necessary to carry out the functions of the Association

Section 2. Government Relations Committee

A Government Relations (GR) Committee shall be formed to study and suggest legislation concerning public education, and to assist members in participation in the democratic process and to work with corresponding committees of the Maryland State Education Association and the National Education Association.

Section 2A: EACC Representation on the MSEA Endorsement Council at the Spring RA shall be the EACC President (or their designee) and the EACC GR Chair. If the GR Chair is not a delegate to the MSEA Spring RA, the President will designate another delegate to serve on the MSEA Endorsement Council.

Section 3: Budget Committee

A Budget committee shall be formed to prepare an Association Budget for presentation to the Representative Assembly at its April meeting. Standing Committee chairpersons will submit a budget for their respective committees to the Budget Committee by the first Wednesday of March for consideration.

Section 4: Instructional & Professional Development (IPD) Committee

An Instructional and Professional Development (IPD) Committee shall be formed to consider matters concerning the general welfare and professional development of members as individuals and employees.

Section 5: A Membership Committee shall be formed to:

plan membership drives to be conducted by the members of the Representative Assembly.
keep the membership informed on Association activities.
plan for such social activities as may be appropriate and desirable for the Association.
Support member recruitment during New Educator Orientation.

Section 6: Minority Affairs/ Human and Civil Rights (MAHCR) Committee

A Minority Affairs/Human and Civil Rights Committee shall be formed to monitor compliance with the Association’s Affirmative Action Plan and assist members in correcting injustices that deny human rights to any segments of our society.

Section 7: Early Career Educator Committee

An Early Career Educator (ECE) Committee shall be formed to consider matters concerning the support and development of “new” educators with 8 years or less in education.

Section 8: Other EACC Internal Committees

Special and ad hoc committees or task forces may be established by the President, Board of Directors, or Representative Assembly to carry out the business of the Association. The President shall nominate, and the Board of Directors shall approve, a Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of each committee or task force.

Section 9: The President shall recommend members of the Association to the Maryland State Education Association for service on committees of that organization.

Section10: The Nominations, Elections and Credentials (NEC) Committee shall be comprised of three (3) to five (5) members elected by the Representative Assembly upon recommendation by the President. All members on the NEC Committee:

are ex-officio members of the Representative Assembly without voting privileges.
shall not hold elected office, including the EACC Executive Board, EACC building representative, or other office of the Association.
may not run for EACC office during their term serving on the NEC Committee.
may run for MSEA Delegate or NEA Delegate during an election cycle. NEC Committee members who choose to run for local MSEA Delegate or local NEA Delegate shall recuse themselves from oversight on the elections processes involving MSEA Delegate and NEA Delegate candidates during that election cycle.
Shall serve a term of two (2) years. The Chairperson selected by the NEC Committee shall serve a term of three (3) years and coincide with the term of the President. NEC Committee vacancies shall be filled by the Representative Assembly.

Section 10A: The NEC Committee shall be recommended by the President and elected by the Representative Assembly at their September meeting.

Section 10B: Nominations for appointment to the NEC Committee shall occur between the conclusion of annual elections and the beginning of the new school year.

Prior to the first regular monthly meeting of the Representative Assembly in September, the President shall nominate any Association active member who is in at least their second year of Association membership and in good standing with no financial obligations or debts to the Association for nomination to any open seats on the NEC Committee.
The Representative Assembly may add additional nominees to the President’s slate of nominees if the slate is less than five (5). The additional nominees must have already agreed to serve in this capacity if confirmed and meet all other requirements for service.

Section 3D 10C. Vacancies on the NEC Committee shall be filled by following the process outlined in Section 10 within 2 months of the vacancy. New appointees will serve out the unexpired term.

Section 3E. 10D. Election of the NEC chairperson and term of office shall be as follows:

The NEC Committee shall meet within two (2) weeks following the September RA to conduct an internal election to elect the Chair of the NEC Committee from among its members. The Committee will report that name to the President.
The Chairperson’s term shall be for three (3) years.

Section 11. A Contract Committee(s) shall be formed as needed to research and provide input to the Bargaining Team through appropriate surveys and comments from the membership at large.

Section 12. The President shall nominate, and the Board of Directors shall approve, a Chief Negotiator/Co-Chief Negotiators.

Section 12A. The President shall nominate, and the Board of Directors shall approve, a Bargaining Team Chairperson/Co-Chairpersons.

Section 12B. The President, Chief Negotiator, and Bargaining Team Chairperson(s), in consultation with the UniServ Director where appropriate, shall nominate, and the Board of Directors shall approve, members of the Bargaining Team prior to negotiations with the Board of Education. Consideration should be given to form a Bargaining Team that reflects the diversity of the membership, experiences in education, and experience in association involvement.

Section 13. The President shall appoint Association members to district-wide committees and task forces when requested. The President shall inform the Board of Directors of these appointments at the next regularly scheduled meeting.

Section 14. Any member appointed to a standing, special, ad-hoc or district-wide committee or the Bargaining Team except the Nominations, Elections, and Credentials Committee may be removed by the President with the approval of the Board of Directors or by a vote of the Board of Directors. NEC Committee members may be removed only with the approval of the Board of Directors.

ARTICLE XV-IMPEACHMENT

Section l. Officers of the Association or Board of Directors Members at Large may be impeached for violation of the Association’s Ethics Policy for an unlawful act, for misconduct in office, or for gross negligence in office.

Section 2. Impeachment proceedings against an officer or Board Members at Large may be initiated by written petition submitted to a Review Board by at least fifteen (15) percent of the certified delegates to the Representative Assembly or by majority vote of the Executive Board. Upon receipt of the petition, the officer or Board member at large may be suspended pending further proceedings.

Section 3. If, after a due process hearing conducted by the Review Board, a two thirds (2/3) vote of a Review Board shall sustain the charge, and ballots shall be prepared for the members of the Representative Assembly. A 2/3 vote of those voting shall be required to impeach and the office shall become vacant.

ARTICLE XVI-REVIEW BOARD

Section 1. A Review Board shall be appointed by the Board of Directors and consist of three (3) or five (5) members.

Section 2. A member of the Review Board shall hold no elective office, other than delegate, in the Association or its affiliates.

Section 3. The Review Board shall adopt its own rules of procedure consistent with due process and these bylaws.

Section 4. The Review Board shall have jurisdiction in a case of impeachment against an officer.

Section 5. The Review Board shall have jurisdiction in alleged ethical violations by any member serving in an elected or appointed capacity.

Section 6. The Review Board shall have jurisdiction in the censure, suspension, or expulsion of a member.

Section 7. The Review Board shall have jurisdiction to review, as necessary, an action of the Board of Directors or Representative Assembly for consistency with the Bylaws of this Association and to recommend remedial action, if necessary.

Section 8. Request for review may be made by the Board of Directors or by a petition of ten (10) percent of the certified delegates of the Representative Assembly.

ARTICLE XVII-FINANCES

Section 1. A Budget for the Association shall be adopted annually at the May meeting of the Representative Assembly. The Budget Committee shall present a proposed Budget at the April Representative Assembly.

Section 2. The Fiscal Year shall be from July 1, to June 30.

Section 3. All officers, delegates, and committee members shall submit vouchers for reimbursement for all work-related travel incurred on behalf of the Association. For this purpose automobile travel shall be paid at the rate set in the Association Budget. In no case shall reimbursement be made beyond the budgetary allowances for travel.

ARTICLE XVIII-AMENDMENTS

Section 1. Amendments to the Bylaws shall be proposed at a Representative Assembly meeting and shall be adopted by the membership by a two thirds (2/3) vote of those voting provided that a copy of the amendments have been given to the Association members at least 30 days prior to the vote.

Section 2. Amendments to these Bylaws may be proposed by the Board of Directors, by recommendation of the Bylaws Committee with approval of the Board of Directors, by the Representative Assembly, or by a petition to the Board of Directors signed by 20% of the general membership.

Section 3. Unless otherwise provided for in the vote on the amendment, all amendments shall take effect on the following July 1, consistent with terms of office as defined herein.

ARTICLE XIX-CONTRACT RATIFICATION

Section 1. A majority of active members voting is required in order to adopt the proposed contract.

Section 2. A proposed contract for ratification, including the complete and final language and monetary details, shall be distributed to members at least two (2) weeks prior to the ratification vote.

Section 3. Prior to the ratification vote at least two informational meetings for active members shall be held.

Section 4. The ratification of the proposed contract shall be voted on only by members of the EACC using an electronic voting system. Membership shall be determined by membership records produced in the month that the vote occurs. The ratification vote will be facilitated by the Negotiations Team with the support of the EACC Administrative Assistant, and may be verified by the NEC Committee.

Article XX-Endorsements of Candidates for Elected Office (NEW)

Section 1. The Government Relations Committee shall determine and manage candidate endorsement procedures for election to public office for each election cycle.

Section 2. To achieve an endorsement for public office, a candidate must receive a minimum of a 57% vote of approval from the Representative Assembly.

Section 3. To achieve an endorsement for an MSEA elected office, a candidate must receive a simple majority vote of approval from the Representative Assembly.

Date Revised/Adopted	Notes
September 2012
June 11, 2014	[Bulleted list of substantive changes will be included]
June 10, 2015	[Bulleted list of substantive changes will be included]
October 7, 2015	Revised name of the Minority and Human Affairs Committee to Minority and Human Civil Rights Committee (editorial change of name only) by Executive Board vote
April 7, 2017	Revised Feb 27, 2017(Bylaws committee), proposed at RA on 3/8/17, adopted 4/7/17 [Bulleted list of substantive changes will be added]
December 6, 2017	Revised name of the Minority and Human Civil Rights Committee to Minority Affairs/Human and Civil Rights Committee (editorial change of name only) by Executive Board vote
June 13, 2019	Editorial revision of Article V membership Section 2 and 5 due to Janus decision
June 2021	[Bulleted list of substantive changes will be included]
September 2023	Changes to align with the newly adopted Rep Structure, process for committee chairs, vice chairs, and clarity on who appoints and approves appointments to committees.