Springfield NEA

Bylaws

Springfield National Education Association

1525-B W. Sunshine

Springfield, Missouri 65807

March 2012

Preamble

We, the members of the Springfield National Education Association, in order to promote, advance and protect public education and to advocate for the rights and interests of students and our members, secure professional autonomy, unite to promote and protect human and civil rights, do hereby adopt these Bylaws.

Article I – Name

The name of this Association shall be the Springfield National Education Association (SNEA).

Article II – Goals and Objections

The goals of the Association shall be as stated in the Preamble. The Association shall have all power necessary and proper to take action for the attainment of these goals; all within the meaning of Section A501 C5 of the Internal Revenue Code. Nothing in these Bylaws shall be construed to prevent the Association from pursuing objectives which are consistent with the stated goals of the Association.

The object of this Association shall be to work for the welfare of the children; to develop and promote ethical and professional practices; to unify and strengthen the teaching profession; to enable members to speak effectively with a common voice; to pursue systematically, and in compliance with state legislation, the improvement of instruction, working conditions, salaries, and benefits via formal negotiations with representatives of the Springfield R-12 School District (District); and to carry our appropriate programs of the state and national NEA affiliates.

Article III – Membership

Section 1 - Eligibility

Upon payment of dues, active membership in the Association shall be open to all professional personnel employed in the Springfield R-12 School District. Active membership shall be continuous until the member leaves the school system, resigns from the Association, or fails to pay membership dues. Active members of the Association shall also be members of the Missouri National Education Association (MNEA) and the National Education Association (NEA).

Active membership shall be open to any person who holds a full-time or part-time position with the District as a certified education professional, paraprofessional, school nurse or clerical staff.

Section 2 – Rights and Responsibilities

1. The Association shall not deny membership to individuals on the basis of race, creed, national origin or sex.
2. Any individual who is a member of a negotiating team representing the District shall be denied membership in the Association.
3. The right to vote and hold elective or appointed position in the Association shall be limited to active members of the Association.
4. All members shall be eligible to receive special services, to obtain assistance in the protection of professional and civil rights, and to receive reports and publications of the Association.
5. Membership shall be continuous unless terminated for cause.
6. Any member who changes professional or occupational position shall be transferred to the class of membership applicable to the new position.
7. No member may be censured by, suspended, or expelled from the Association without a due process hearing, which shall include an appropriate appellate procedure.

Section 3 – Membership and Fiscal Year

The membership and fiscal year shall be from September 1 through August 31.

Section 4 – Membership Dues

Dues for the following membership year will be set by the local representative assembly at the last meeting of the membership year.

Section 5 – Dues Transmittal and Enforcement Procedures

1. The Association shall enter into a contract with the Missouri NEA governing the transmittal of Missouri NEA dues and National Education Association dues to the Missouri NEA.
2. The Association shall transmit dues to the Missouri NEA as stated in Article I, Section 5 of the Missouri NEA’s Bylaws.
3. If the Association has failed to transmit dues in accordance with Missouri NEA Bylaws, Article I, Section 5, the Association shall have no right to participate in the Missouri NEA Representative Assembly other than to elect officers and vote on dues increases.

Section 6 – Property Interest of Members

All rights, title, and interest, both legal and equitable, of a member in and to the property of the Association shall end upon the termination of membership.

Section 7- Membership Attendance at Representative Assemblies and Conferences

1. Cancellation and Reimbursement- embers are encouraged to participate in MNEA and NEA Representative Assemblies and conferences. When members register to attend those events and are sponsored by SNEA, they shall make every effort to attend said event. If they cannot attend, due to an emergency, they shall notify the local president in a timely manner. If expenses have already been incurred for that event and cannot be fully refunded, the member shall reimburse SNEA the full amount of those expenses or for penalty fees incurred.
2. 2nd Cancellation- If a member cancels their attendance for a second time, to a local, state or national Representative Assembly or conference for which they are being sponsored by SNEA, he or she will be ineligible to attend conferences or RA’s at the local’s expense for 1 full year after the last cancellation.
3. Extenuating circumstances will be considered at the discretion of the local president.

Article IV – Officers

Section 1

The officers of the Association shall consist of a President, a Vice President or President Elect, a Secretary, and a Treasurer.

Section 2 – Duties and Power of the Officers

1. President – The President shall preside over meetings of the Executive Board and the local Representative Assembly, appoint the chairperson and members of committees with executive committee approval. The President shall be the executive officer of the Association and represent the Association before the public either personally or through delegates, and shall perform the duties prescribed by these Bylaws and by the parliamentary authority adopted by the Association. The President will automatically be a local delegate to state and national conventions.

It shall be the duty of the outgoing President and the Executive Board to meet, instruct, transfer information, and perform any other action necessary to ensure efficient, continuous pursuit of Association goals and objectives.

The incoming President shall take office and assume the duties of President after the local May Representative Assembly.

1. Vice President/President-Elect – The Vice President shall serve in the President’s stead if the President is absent or unable to perform the duties of office. The Vice President will work with the President in attending meetings, briefings and planning session as an executive representative of the Association.
2. Secretary – The Secretary shall keep accurate minutes of all meetings of the Executive Board, local Representative Assembly and any other Association business meetings. The Association Secretary will maintain official files and assist the President with Association correspondence.
3. Treasurer – The Treasurer shall hold the funds of the Association and disburse them upon authorization of the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall be responsible for the collection of dues and shall follow any membership plan authorized by the Executive Committee. The Treasurer shall collect dues through the membership plan and transmit amounts due to the Missouri NEA. The Treasurer will prepare financial reports for monthly meetings of the Executive Board and local Representative Assembly. The Treasurer will submit an annual budget report to the Executive Board.

Section 3 – Executive Board Qualifications

All candidates for office of President, Vice-President/President Elect, Secretary, Treasurer and eight (8) At-Large Directors shall be active members of the Association.

Section 4 – Nomination and Election of Executive Board

1. Nominations – Any active Association member may present a nomination for the Executive Board. Nominations will be received from the floor of the local Representative Assembly in April. Nominations will also be received electronically or directly during the week of the April RA.
2. Terms of Office – Members of the Executive Board shall be elected for the following terms:

President – 3 years

Vice President – 3 years

Secretary – 2 years

Treasurer – 2 years

At Large Directors (8) – 2 years (Four elected in each alternate year)

1. Executive Board Ballot – All candidates for the Executive Officer will have the option of presenting a candidate statement that will appear with their name on the ballot. The Executive Board will conduct a random drawing to determine the order of names for respective positions on the ballot.
2. Executive Board Election – The Executive Board of the Association shall be elected by secret ballot. The election of officer will take place in April or May following the nomination process. Election dates and procedures will be submitted to the Executive Board for approval. All elections shall be in accordance with the one-person, one-vote principle.
3. Members of the Executive Board shall attend all board meetings and local Representative Assembly meetings, be responsible for management of Association business, attend local leadership training and planning sessions, and provide advice and counsel to the local President regarding surveys, publications, media contact and other Association planning strategies as needed.
4. Executive Board Attendance – Springfield NEA Executive Board members (Directors) will make every effort to attend each Executive Board meeting. Directors are responsible for obtaining information from any missed meetings by contacting the President or other Directors. If a Director is absent from three (3) consecutive Board meetings or four (4) Board meetings within a school year – unless such absences are due to extenuating circumstances and have been reviewed by the local President – the President shall notify the Board and make a recommendation that the seat shall be declared vacant. If a seat is declared vacant by a majority vote of the Board, the remainder of the term will be filled by:
   1. The candidate who received the next highest number of votes in the most recent Executive Board election, if available.
   2. If the candidate receiving the highest number of votes is unavailable, a Member may be nominated and elected by a majority of the first local Representative Assembly held after the determination of vacancy.

Section 5 – Recall

Elected officials of the Association shall be subject to recall elections.

1. The recall election shall be held upon a petition of 25% of the Association membership.
2. The election shall be held at a meeting scheduled not less than thirty (30) and not more than sixty (60) days after receipt of the petition.

Article V – Representative Assembly

Section 1 – The legislative body of this Association shall be known as the Representative Assembly.

Section 2 – Election of Representative Assembly

The members of this Association assigned to a given building shall annually elect, by secret ballot, at least one representative to the local Representative Assembly. Members in a given building may elect one representative for each seven members or major fraction thereof. If there are no more nominees than allowable representative, a secret ballot may be omitted.

Section 3 – Representative Assembly

The local Representative Assembly shall approve the budget, set the dues for the Association, act on reports of committees, approve resolutions, approve other policy statements, and discuss current issues facing the Association and its members. Twenty percent (20%) of representatives constitute a forum. Members of the Executive Board shall be members of the Representative Assembly.

Section 4 – Meeting Dates

The local Representative Assembly shall meet on the third Thursday of each month from September through May, unless otherwise ordered by the Association or the Executive Board. Special meetings of the Representative Assembly.

Article VI – Committees

Section 1 – Appointment of Committees

Standing committees, sub-committees, and/or special committees shall be appointed by the President with approval of the Executive Board.

Section 2 – Standing Committees

Standing Committees shall be: Membership, Public Relations, Negotiations, Teacher Rights, Legislative Action, Instruction and Professional Development, Minority Affairs, Social, Scholarship, and Nominating and Elections. Members of standing committees shall be appointed for overlapping terms of three (3) years. Each committee may, with the approval of the Executive Board, organize special activities from the membership of the Association. The President and/or Vice President shall serve as ex-officio members of all standing committees, except the nominating committee. Each committee shall choose a secretary who shall keep a continuing record of activities.

Section 3 – Standing Committee Meetings

Each standing committee shall meet regularly according to a pre-determined calendar and may hold special meetings at the call of the chairperson.

Section 4 – Duties of Standing Committees

1. Membership Committee – This committee shall organize and carry out a membership drive using local, state and national membership materials.
2. Public Relations Committee – This committee shall submit topics and articles for the association newsletter or weblog and assist the Executive Board in developing news releases to the media and surveys to membership.
3. Negotiations Committee – This committee shall research and develop proposals concerning improvement of instruction and employment conditions; conduct research on school policies, finances and other appropriate matters; keep current on the latest research at the state and national levels; and designate representatives of the committee to attend each meeting of the R-12 Board of Education.
4. Teachers Rights Committee – This committee shall work to help assure members of due process and keep the membership informed of developments in teacher responsibilities.
5. Legislative Action – This committee shall keep members current on legislative activity at the state and national levels; coordinate legislative efforts of approved educational concerns; and conduct membership awareness campaigns to insure that members know and exercise their political rights and responsibilities.
6. Instruction and Professional Development – This committee shall maintain an ongoing evaluation of curriculum and instruction; make recommendations as needs are identified; act as advisory group on instructional affairs to the negotiating team; and conduct membership surveys concerning instructional issues.
7. Minority Affairs Committee – This committee shall develop, plan and implement ethnic minority programs and activities; develop a communications system to communicate activities to all minorities and other members within the local; work to assure ethnic minority participation in all Association activities.
8. Social Committee – This committee shall be responsible to provide and/or arrange for refreshments at meetings designated by the Executive Board and plan social activities for the local.
9. Scholarship Committee – This committee shall implement existing scholarships, research new possibilities and resources, and develop scholarships. Major emphasis will be given to students who are preparing for the teaching profession.

Section 5 – Special Committees

Special Committees shall be appointed by the President as deemed necessary to carry on the work of the Association.

Article VII – Contract Negotiations and Ratification

Section 1 – Bargaining Team

The President of the Association shall appoint no more than five (5) Springfield NEA members to serve as a representative bargaining team for their respective bargaining units. The Association President will make every effort to select a team that is representative of all segments of the bargaining unit. Members of the bargaining team will attend closed strategy sessions to formulate and modify proposals and will attend all negotiation sessions with the district bargaining team. All strategy sessions and bargaining sessions are considered confidential. No single member of the bargaining team will independently negotiate with district officials.

It is the responsibility of the bargaining team to develop negotiation updates and reports for the general membership.

Section 2 – Good Faith Bargaining

As the recognized representative for all full-time and regular part-time teachers, school nurses, counselors, librarians and clerical staff employed by the Springfield R-12 Public Schools, Springfield NEA (SNEA) will bargain in good faith and recognize the Duty of Fair Representation for all members of the bargaining units regarding contractual issues and grievances.

Section 3 – Ratification Meeting & Vote

Upon reaching a tentative agreement with the district regarding terms and conditions of employment, the Association President will call for a ratification meeting of Association membership. The tentative agreement will be presented to members in written form, and all members in attendance will have the opportunity to ask questions, express their views regarding the tentative agreement. A secret ballot ratification vote will then be held.

Section 4 – Ratification Committee

The Association President will appoint a Ratification Committee to oversee the election and provide an accurate tally of the ratification vote. The Ratification Committee will announce the official results at the completion of the vote count and submit the results in written form - dated and signed by committee members - to the Association President. The President will contact the district designee and present the results of the vote.

Article VIII – Affiliation & Election of Delegates

Section 1 – Reciprocal Agreement

The NEA shall enter into a reciprocal contractual agreement between the NEA Local and the National Educational Association as stated in the NEA Constitution Article VIII; Affiliates and Special Interest Groups, and Bylaws 8-13-17.

Section 2 – Affiliation with State Association

The Springfield NEA shall affiliate with the Missouri NEA as regulated in the Article VII of the Missouri NEA Bylaws.

Section 3 – Delegates to NEA Representative Assembly

Delegates to the NEA Representative Assembly shall be elected in compliance with Article III of the NEA Constitution and Bylaw 3.

Section 4 – Delegates to Missouri NEA Representative Assembly

Delegates to the Missouri NEA Representative Assembly shall be elected in compliance with Article II of the Missouri NEA Bylaws.

Section 5 – Minority Representation

The Association shall take such steps as are legally permissible to achieve ethnic-minority representation at least proportional to its ethnic minority membership or elective and appointed bodies.

Article IX – Parliamentary Authority

Roberts Rules Newly Revised shall be the parliamentary authority for the Association on all questions not covered by the Bylaws and such standing rules as the Representative Assembly may adopt.

Article X – Amendment to Bylaws

These Bylaws may be amended by majority vote at any regular meeting of the Representative Assembly provided that proposed amendments have been previously studied by the Executive Board and that copies have been sent to members of the Representative Assembly at least one week prior to the meeting in which the vote is held.