RCOTL Constitution
This is our Local Constitution, the document which structures our Local. For procedures on how propose amendments and timelines for doing so, see Article XII.
The Local Constitution was last updated on May 9th 2022 at the RCOTL Spring AGM.
CONSTITUTION
ETFO Renfrew County Occasional Teacher Local
Definitions
Board means the Renfrew County District School Board.
ETFO means the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario.
Local means the Renfrew County Occasional Teacher Local.
Article 1 - Name
1.1 This organization shall be known as the Elementary Teachers’ Federation of Ontario--Renfrew County Occasional Teacher Local.
Article 2 - Jurisdiction
2.1 The Local is a bargaining unit of ETFO.
2.2 The jurisdiction of the Local shall be all occasional teachers employed by the Board in the elementary panel.
Article 3 - Objects
3.1 To represent members of the Local.
3.2 To secure, through collective bargaining, the best possible terms and conditions of employment.
3.3 To advance the cause of education and the status of occasional teachers in the Local.
3.4 To promote a high standard of professional ethics and a high standard of professional competence.
3.5 To promote and protect the interests of all members of the Local and the students in their care.
3.6 To promote and defend the health and safety of members in the workplace.
3.7 To foster a climate of social justice.
3.8 To collaborate with ETFO Locals and other organizations having the same or like objectives.
Article 4 - Membership
4.1 Active members shall be all occasional teachers in good standing with ETFO who are covered by the collective agreement between the Local and the Board, and who have taught as an occasional teacher within the last one hundred twenty (120) working days.
4.2 Each member of the Local shall pay union dues, as determined by the ETFO Annual Meeting, based on a percentage of salary, through payroll deduction.
4.3 Each member of the Local shall pay a Local levy, as determined by the Local Executive, based on a percentage of salary, through payroll deduction.
Article 5 - Rights, Privileges, and Responsibilities of Membership
5.1 An active member shall have full rights, privileges, and responsibilities of membership in ETFO unless limited by disciplinary action taken in accordance with Article 7 of the ETFO Constitution.
5.2 The rights of an active member shall be:
(a) to hold office in the Local and in ETFO;
(b) to attend General Meetings of the Local;
(c) to participate in all votes related to the collective bargaining process;
(d) to participate in any general membership votes;
(e) to request Local support through the grievance process;
(f) to request Local support in any problem directly related to professional duties.
5.3 The responsibilities of an active member shall be:
(a) to recognize the Local as the official voice of all members of the Local;
(b) to adhere to the Constitution of the Local;
(c) to honour the terms of the collective agreement;
(d) to strive to achieve and maintain a high degree of professionalism and to uphold the honour, dignity, and ethical standards of the teaching profession.
Article 6 - Local Organization
6.1 The Local Executive shall include the following positions:
(a) President;
(b) Vice President;
(c) Secretary;
(d) Treasurer;
(e) Member at Large.
6.2 Terms of Office:
(a) The Executive shall be elected at the Annual Meeting.
(b) Should there be a vacancy on the Executive following the Annual Meeting, the elected Executive members may fill the vacancy by appointment from the membership.
(c) The term of office for the Executive shall be for two (2) years.
(d) The Executive shall take office on July 1.
6.3 Ad hoc committees deemed necessary to carry out the work of the Local may be established by the Executive or by general meetings.
Article 7 - Organizational Duties
Duties of the Executive
7.1 The Executive shall:
(a) uphold the Constitution, Bylaws, and Policies of ETFO.
(b) execute the business of the Local in accordance with the constitution and the decisions of the membership at a General meeting of the Local.
(c) forward to the Provincial office by September 30 of each year the annual audited financial statement.
(d) determine the amount required as a local levy fee, subject to approval by at least sixty (60) percent of those members present at a Local Annual Meeting.
(e) appoint members to committees having solicited interest from active members.
(f) appoint and develop terms of reference for ad hoc committees.
(g) appoint at least two (2) signing officers of the Local.
(h) appoint, when necessary, a successor to complete any unexpired term of an elected or appointed Local representative.
(i) approve the proposed budget and develop an investment policy.
(j) ensure an up-to-date copy of the Local Constitution is available to members.
(k) determine the location and time of the Local’s annual and general meetings.
(l) approve the minutes of the Local’s annual and general meetings.
Duties of the Officers
7.2 The duties of the President shall be:
(a) to be the Spokesperson for the Local;
(b) to be the official representative of the Local and its members;
(c) to be one (1) of the signing officers;
(d) to be an ex-officio member of all committees;
(e) to preside at meetings of the Executive and the Annual Meeting;
(f) to advise and inform members on issues concerning the Federation, the Provincial ETFO, and education.
(g) to transact the business of the Local between Executive meetings subject to ratification by the Executive.
(h) to represent the Local at ETFO Representative Councils.
(i) to monitor and enforce the collective agreement through the grievance procedure.
(j) to delegate, if necessary, any of above duties.
7.3 The duties of the Vice President shall be:
(a) to assume the responsibilities of the President in the President’s absence;
(b) to be responsible for additional duties as assigned by the President and/or Executive.
7.4 The duties of the Treasurer shall be:
(a) to keep accurate and detailed financial records of the Local based on the Local fiscal year, July 1 to June 30;
(b) to make a financial report to each Executive and General meeting of the Local;
(c) to make investments with the approval of the Executive and include a status report in each financial statement;
(d) to ensure the audit is completed;
(e) to forward the annual audited financial statement of the Local to the ETFO Provincial office by September 30.
(f) to prepare a budget for presentation to the Fall General Meeting.
(g) to be one (1) of the signing officers.
7.5 The duties of the Secretary shall be:
(a) to maintain accurate minutes of all meetings of the Local;
(b) to maintain accurate records of correspondence received by and sent on behalf of the Local;
(c) to prepare and circulate minutes of the Executive and General meetings.
7.6 The duties of the Member at Large shall be:
(a) to carry out duties as assigned by the President and/or Executive.
Duties of Committees
7.7 The duties of the Committees shall be:
(a) assigned by the Local Executive. Committees are responsible to the Local Executive.
Article 8 - Meetings
General Meetings
8.1 A minimum of two (2) General Meetings will be held each year, one in the spring and one in the fall with notification to members at least two weeks in advance.
8.2 The parliamentary authority for conducting all Local meetings shall be the current Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised. The rules contained therein shall govern the Local in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with this constitution and any special rules of order the Local may adopt.
Local Annual Meeting & Fall General Meeting
8.3 The Local Annual Meeting shall be held before June 1. The Fall General Meeting shall be held before October 31.
8.4 The Local Annual Meeting shall:
(a) receive the annual reports of the officers and committees of the Local;
(b) elect the officers for the next term, if it is an election year;
(c) approve changes to the Local Constitution in accordance with Article 12.
8.5 The Fall General Meeting shall:
(a) approve the budget for the current year.
(b) pass resolutions to the ETFO Annual Meeting.
Executive Meetings
8.6 A minimum of five (5) regular Executive meetings shall be held each year.
8.7 Executive meetings shall be held at the call of the President, or any other Executive member should there not have been a meeting in the previous seventy-five (75) days.
8.8 A quorum for Executive meetings shall be a majority of the Executive members.
Article 9 - Elections
Eligibility
9.1 An active member in good standing may be nominated to stand for elected office.
9.2 For the position of President, candidates shall have served at least one (1) term previously on the Local Executive, unless no other candidate is available.
Nominations
9.3 Members shall be notified of the request for nominations at least twenty-one (21) days prior to the Local Annual Meeting in which elections will take place.
9.4 The deadline for receipt of nominations shall be seven (7) days prior to the meeting in which elections will take place.
9.5 Nominations shall include a mover and a seconder.
9.6 Nominations must be given by active members in good standing in the Local.
9.7 Nominations shall be submitted on the Local’s Executive Nomination form, as found on the Local’s website or made available at the Local office.
9.8 A list of duly nominated candidates will be made available on the Local website one (1) day after the deadline to receive nominations.
9.9 Nominations from the floor will be accepted for a position if and only if there is no duly nominated candidate for the position.
Election Procedures
9.10 The order of elections shall be President, then Vice-President, then Treasurer, then Secretary, then Member at Large.
9.11 Candidates shall have the opportunity to address the Local Annual Meeting before the election.
9.12 The election shall be by secret ballot.
9.13 Notwithstanding 9.12, in an uncontested election the assembly shall dispense with balloting and the candidate shall be elected by acclamation.
9.14 Each candidate may appoint one scrutineer to observe the counting of the ballots for that candidate’s election.
9.15 To be declared successful, a candidate for any office must obtain a simple majority of the votes cast. In the event of a tie, a new ballot shall be cast.
9.16 The election shall be chaired by a designate appointed by the Executive who is not running for office. If a designate is not found, the President shall chair.
9.17 In the case of more than two nominees for any office, and failing a simple majority for any candidate on the first ballot, the candidate with the least votes will have their name removed from the ballot and a new ballot shall be cast. This process shall repeat until one candidate receives the majority of the votes.
9.18 The vote result for all elected positions shall be released to all members present following each ballot and will be published in the minutes of the Local Annual Meeting.
9.19 Notwithstanding 9.4, an unsuccessful candidate may seek another position on the Executive for which the member is eligible. If there is not already a duly nominated candidate for the position, the drop-down candidate shall not preclude other members from submitting nominations from the floor.
9.20 The ballots will be destroyed by a motion of the Local Annual Meeting immediately following the elections.
Article 10 - Delegates to the ETFO Annual Meeting
10.1 The delegates to the ETFO Annual Meeting will be:
(a) the President or designate.
(b) an Executive member.
10.2 An active member in good standing with the Local may submit his/her name to the President as an alternate to the ETFO Annual Meeting.
10.3 Alternates shall be chosen by lot.
10.4 The number of delegates and alternates shall be determined by ETFO Provincial office.
Article 11 - Resolutions to the ETFO Annual Meeting
11.1 Members shall be notified that the submission of resolutions should be forwarded to the Executive two (2) weeks prior to the Fall General Meeting.
11.2 Resolutions to the ETFO Annual Meeting shall be passed at the Fall General Meeting.
Article 12 - Amendments to the Local Constitution
12.1 Proposed amendments to the Local Constitution must be submitted to the Executive no later than one (1) month prior to the Local Annual Meeting.
12.2 The Executive shall publish electronically all proposed amendments to the general membership no later than fourteen (14) days prior to the Local Annual Meeting.
12.3 The Constitution shall be amended at the Local Annual Meeting by an affirmative vote of at least two-thirds (66.7%) of the votes cast.