With respect to the role of the Local Shop Steward, be it resolved that the Vancouver Local By-Laws be amended in the following way:
Article 7 – Shop Stewards
Article 7.1 The Local Shop Steward:
NEW – K: Must attend at least 3 GMMs per year
Article 9 – Nominations, Elections and Voting Procedure
Article 9.0 – Annual Election:
Elections for full-time officers, part time officers, table officers, and chief stewards and shop stewards shall be held annually as outlined in the articles following. Elections shall be conducted by Electronic Balloting.
Article 9.4 The Shop Steward Body:
A: To be eligible, candidates must meet the following criteria:
- Must be a member in good standing and be off probation
- Must have attended at least three (3) GMMs in the twelve (12) month period preceding the nomination and acceptance date
- Must have completed a Basic Shop Steward Course
B: Nomination, Acceptance, Appointment Process:
- Candidates must be nominated by a member in good standing from their work location (installation or Post Office)
- Candidates must provide, along with their acceptance, a written statement of 200 – 300 words on “Why I want to be a Shop Steward” along with a petition from their work location (installation or Post Office) or shift where applicable, signed by at least 35% of the members in that work location or shift, supporting the nomination
- Nominations, acceptances (along with statement and petition) must be submitted to the Local Executive Committee by February 15th of the appropriate year
- The Local Executive Committee will review all valid nominations at the March Executive meeting of the appropriate year, and appoint shop stewards to each work location or shift as defined by the limits in part C
C: The number of shop stewards for each work location or installation shall be limited as follows:
- One (1) shop steward for each twenty (20) members for the first (100) members in each work location (installation or Post Office)
- One (1) shop steward for every additional fifty (50) members in each work location (installation or Post Office)
D: Term of office:
- The term of office shall be two (2) years from the date of appointment
- Shop Stewards duly elected in the 2018 “plant gate” election for two year terms would fulfill their duties until the appointment date in 2020
- Stewards duly elected at the 2017 “plant gate” who would normally have terms ending in 2019, Shop Stewards appointed after the 2018 “plant gate”, as well as eligible embers interested in becoming Shop Stewards in 2019 would be subject to the new terms of Article 9.4 as outlined above
E: Shop Stewards who do not maintain attendance at 3 GMMs in the 12 months following their appointment shall be replaced.
F: Should a complaint it made to the Local Executive Committee that any Shop Steward has not fulfilled their duties, or has committed any of the offences outlined in Article 8 of the CUPW National Constitution, the Local Executive Committee will investigate the allegations immediately. Should the investigation find that the allegations brought forward against the Shop Steward are founded, the Local Executive Committee shall replace the offending Shop Steward.
G: If a Shop Steward is to be replaced, or a Shop Steward vacancy requires filling, the Local Executive committee will solicit nominations by way of a bulletin to the membership which will be posted for a minimum of ten (10) days before nominations close. The process and requirements for nomination, acceptance, and appointment shall be in line with Part B as above.