The Constitution – the guiding document covering the principles, governance, and obligations of members and office bearers. These can only be changed by the decision of the membership with approval 75% of those casting votes during a special general meeting.
The By-laws– the decisions made by the Governing Committee of the day that outline other rules of the day to day operation of the union. These can be updated at any time by majority vote of the Governing Committee. By-laws can not override the rules of the Constitution or legal requirements. Members can influence By-laws by attending Branch Meetings or directly contacting their branch delegate and requesting that they bring a proposed change to the Governing Committee.
Definitions:
Annual General Meeting(AGM) – A special general meeting that must happen once per year
Bad Standing – a member who is late on their dues, members in bad standing are not eligible to vote during meetings
Branch Delegate – Elected union member tasked to maintain the branch and represent the views of their members to leadership
Committee – an official group within the union that works towards a specific goal
Dues Amnesty – when a member has requested to not pay dues for a period of three months and is approved by the Membership Officer – The member maintains their voting rights during this period
General Membership Branch(GMB) – every member in good standing within the union, no matter if they have a local branch or not
Good Standing – a member who’s dues are up to date and paid
Governing Committee(GC) – the group made up of elected Office Bearers and Branch Delegates who make decisions for the union
Hybrid Meeting – a meeting which is held online as well as in person
Local Branch – a group of members with interest in a specific local areas (often in the area they live) that organises for the interests of members within that local area
Motion – a formal proposal which is put forward before or during a meeting that may be voted on
Office Bearer – a formally elected member of the union with specific tasks that maintain and grow the union, make decisions on behalf of the membership, as well as meet legal requirements
Quorum – the minimum number of members at a meeting required to vote on a motion
Special General Meeting (SGM) – a meeting where the entire membership may join to vote on special resolutions such as changes to the constitution with a minimum approval of severity five percent needed to pass
