CONSTITUTION FOR AFSCME LOCAL 575

ARTICLE I NAME:

The name of this organization shall be Los Angeles County, California, Superior Court Clerks Local Number 575 of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO.

ARTICLE II AFFILIATIONS:

This local union shall be affiliated with California District Council Number 36 of the American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees; the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor; and the California Labor Federation.

ARTICLE III MISSION:

The mission of this local union shall be to execute on a local basis the objectives of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and the goals of the local union established by its general membership.

ARTICLE IV MEMBERSHIP AND DUES:

Section 1. All clerks of the Los Angeles County, California, Superior Court are eligible for membership in this local union, subject to the requirements of the Constitution of the International Union.
Section 2. Application for membership shall be made on a valid authorization form for payroll dues deduction.
Section 3. The monthly membership dues of the local shall be as follows:
A. Effective July 1, 1998, monthly membership dues shall be .85 of one percent (1%) of the monthly gross salary of each member pursuant to the salary schedule as set forth within the existing Memorandum of Understanding.

B. Effective January 1, 1999, monthly membership dues shall be one percent (1%) of the monthly gross salary of each member pursuant to the salary schedule as set forth within the existing Memorandum of Understanding.

Section 4. Membership dues shall be payable monthly in advance to the local secretary-treasurer and in any event shall be paid not later than the 15th day of the month in which they become due. Any member who fails to pay dues the 15th day of the month in which they become due shall be considered delinquent, and upon failure to pay dues for two successive months shall stand suspended. However, any person who is paying dues through a system of regular payroll deduction shall be considered in good standing as long as such deductions continue.

Section 5. A member suspended under the above section may be reinstated to membership in the local on payment of all arrearage.

ARTICLE V MEETINGS:

Section 1. Regular general membership meetings of this local shall be held monthly. The time, date, and location shall be determined by the membership or the local executive board. Advance written notice of each regular meeting shall be given to all members.

Section 2. Special meetings may be called by the local president, the local executive board, or by petition filed with the president and signed by ten (10 %) percent of the members of the local. Special meetings may also be called by the international president or by the president's authorized representatives.

Section 3. The recording secretary or the recording secretary's designee shall, at the direction of the president or the executive board, give notice in writing to all members of all regular and special meetings of the local. The recording secretary shall provide a copy of the agenda of the monthly meeting to the elected branch court representatives prior to regular and special meetings. Further, the recording secretary shall prepare minutes of the general membership meetings and cause them to be distributed to each member.

Section 4. The quorum for any regular or special general membership meetings of this local shall consist of fifteen percent (15%) of the membership.

ARTICLE VI OFFICERS, NOMINATIONS, AND ELECTIONS:

Section 1.

A. The officers of this local shall be a president, a vice-president, a recording secretary , a secretary treasurer, and five executive board members, one of whom shall be elected as branch court representative. These nine shall constitute the local union executive board. In addition, there shall be elected three members who shall serve as trustees. The trustees shall be elected to three-year terms of office, except that in the initial election one shall be elected for a one-year term, one for a two- year term, and one for a three-year term resulting in the election of one trustee every year.

B. The president, vice-president, and recording- secretary shall be elected for a two-year term in the even numbered years. The two executive board members holding Office No. 4 and No. 5 shall be elected for a term of one year. The secretary-treasurer shall be elected for a two-year term in the odd-numbered years. At the expiration of the two-year term, the secretary-treasurer shall be elected for a term of one year. Thereafter, this officer shall be elected for two years in the even numbered years .The three remaining executive board members shall be elected for two-year terms in the odd-numbered years. At the expiration of their current term, they shall be elected for a term of one year.

Section 2. Not less than fifteen days prior to the holding of nominations for local union executive board members and trustees, a notice of nominations shall be mailed to each member at the members last known address. Nominations shall be made at the regular November general membership meeting. A nominating committee may be appointed, but whether or not such nominating committee is used, nominations shall be permitted from the floor at the nominations meeting.

Section 3. To be eligible for office, a member must be in good standing for one year immediately preceding the election, except in the initial election held in this local. No retired member shall be a candidate for office. For a member who is transferred or promoted into this local from another AFSCME local, this requirement shall be satisfied if such member's combined membership in good standing in both locals is one year at the time of election.

Section 4. Officers and trustees shall be elected by secret ballot vote. Ballots shall be mailed to all members within 10 days of the November nominations meeting. At least twenty days from date of mailing shall be given to the membership to return the ballot.

Section 5. All matters concerning nominations and elections in this local union shall be subject to the provisions of Appendix D, entitled Elections Code, of the International Union Constitution.

Section 6. Vacancies in office shall be filled for the remainder of the un expired term by vote of the executive board.

Section 7. Every officer shall ,upon assuming office, subscribe to the Obligation of an Officer contained in Appendix B of the International Union Constitution.

Section 8. Each branch may elect a representative for a one-year term who shall be responsible for holding meetings in the districts once a month or as needed. The branch representatives will be responsible for communicating to the president the issues discussed at the monthly meeting.

ARTICLE VII DUTIES OF THE OFFICERS AND EXECUTIVE BOARD:

Section 1. The President shall:

A. Preside at all meetings of the local union and of the executive board.
B. Be a member of all committees except election committees.
C. Countersign all checks drawn against the funds of the local.
D. Appoint all standing committees and all special committees of the local subject to the approval of the executive board.
E. Report periodically to the membership regarding the progress and standing of the local and regarding the president's official acts.

Section 2. The Vice-President shall:

A. Assist the president in the work of the president's office.
B. In the absence of the president or in the president's inability to serve, preside at all meetings and perform all duties otherwise performed by the president.
C. Upon approval by the local executive board, be authorized to act as a co-signer of checks drawn on the local funds in place of either the president or the secretary-treasurer.

Section 3. The Recording-Secretary shall:

A. Keep a record of the proceedings of all membership meetings and of all executive board meetings.
B. Carry on the official correspondence of the local, except as otherwise directed by the executive board.
C. Perform such other duties as the executive board may require.

Section 4. The Secretary-Treasurer shall:

A. Receive and receipt for all monies of the local union.
B. Deposit all money so received in the name of the local union in a bank or banks selected by the executive board, and money so deposited shall be withdrawn only by check signed by the president and the secretary-treasurer.
C. Prepare and sign checks for such purposes as are required by the constitution or are authorized by the membership or the executive board.
D. Prepare and submit the monthly membership report to the International Union office and see that a check is drawn in payment of the local's per capita tax each month and sent to the International Secretary-Treasurer.
E. Keep an accurate record of receipts and disbursements and shall, once each month, submit to the membership a monthly operating statement of the financial transactions of the local for the previous month.
F. Act as custodian of all properties of the local union.
G. Give a surety bond for an amount to be fixed by the executive board of the local union, at the expense of the local union and through the International Union.
H. See that any financial reports required by the International Union Constitution to be submitted to the International Union are submitted in accordance with the International Union Constitution.

Section 5. The trustees shall make or cause to be made at least semi-annually an audit of the finances of the local, including the finances concerning any health and welfare, pension, insurance, or other benefit programs covering members of such local, and shall report to the membership on the results of such audit.

Section 6. The executive board shall be the governing body of the local union except when meetings of the local union are in session. All matters affecting the policies, aims and means of accomplishing the purposes of the local not specifically provided for in this constitution or by actions of the membership at a regular or special meeting shall be decided by the executive board. The board shall meet at the call of the president or of a majority of the members of the board. A report on all actions taken by the executive board shall be made to the membership at the next following meeting. A majority of the members of the executive board shall be required for a quorum.

ARTICLE VIII MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS:

Section 1. This local union shall at all times be subject to the provisions of the constitution of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Section 2. Except to the extent specified in this constitution, no officer of the local union shall have the power to act as agent for or otherwise bind the local union in any way whatsoever. No member or group of members or other person or persons shall have the power to act on behalf of or otherwise bind the local union except to the extent specifically authorized in writing by the president of the local union or by the executive board of the local union.

Section 3. Robert's Rules of Order, current edition, shall be the guide in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the constitution and special rules of this local union or of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees

ARTICLE IX AMENDMENTS:

This constitution may be amended, revised, or otherwise changed by a majority vote of the members voting on such proposed change and such change shall take effect only upon written approval of the International President. Proposed amendments to this constitution must be read at a regular or special meeting of the local union and read and voted on at a subsequent meeting of the local union, adequate and proper notice having been given to the membership prior to the date on which the vote is taken. A written copy of the proposed amendment shall be furnished to every eligible voter at the meeting at which the vote is taken.