Article VII - Regions And Locals
REGIONS AND LOCALS
Section 1. Regions.
There shall be subdivisions known as Regions. The Board of Directors shall determine the total number of Regions and the boundaries of each Region on a geographic basis by work location. Region is a geographic and political subdivision of the MAPE membership. Its purpose is to coordinate the delivery of member service and provide a vehicle for information flow to and from the Board of Directors. Regional membership elects a Regional Director to the Board of Directors who provides a voice for the Locals in that Region.
Section 2. Regional Director.
A Regional Director must be a member of the Region they serve. Duties of a Regional Director include, but are not limited to, gathering concerns and interests of people they represent; making policies that reflect their constituents’ interest; performing other duties as assigned by the Board of Directors in accordance with the Board’s policies; and disseminating information regarding status of MAPE and newly enacted policies as well as standing policies of MAPE.
Section 3. Locals.
All Regions are organized into one or more Locals. Each Region by default forms one Local. Locals are geographic subdivisions of Regions. A Local’s purpose is to provide for direct delivery of member service through regular membership meetings, Local officers and stewards. Locals provide grassroots membership direct access to information and services such as contract negotiations, grievance handling and MAPE-provided training and education.
A work location or locations within a well-defined geographic area may petition the Board of Directors to divide the Region and form a separate Local. The Board of Directors, when considering the petition shall also take into account the functioning of the original Local(s) when the new Local is formed. The final formation of a new Local after the Board of Directors has approved the petition and organizing papers, if any, shall require a majority vote of the members who will constitute the new Local.
Section 4. Local Officers.
All Locals shall have a President, Vice President, Secretary, Membership Secretary, and Treasurer. Locals may also elect any other officers deemed necessary. The Local officers comprise the local executive committee. The terms of these offices shall be two years. Officers of newly formed Locals shall be elected as part of the formation process and shall serve until the normal expiration date of other Local officers in their Region.
Local officers may be paid a stipend from their local budget for their local union activities if approved by their local members. Dues reimbursement is not allowed as payment for union activities.
Section 5. Local Officer Duties.
The PRESIDENT shall conduct the affairs of the Local and preside at Local meetings. The President shall be a member of the Local Presidents Committee.
The VICE-PRESIDENT shall preside at Local meetings at which the President is not in attendance and shall chair the Local Job Action Committee.
The SECRETARY shall maintain a record of the Local's proceedings.
The MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY shall maintain a record of the Local’s membership records and promote member recruitment, retention, and involvement.
The TREASURER shall be responsible for any funds received or disbursed directly by the Local, and shall maintain a record of the Local's financial transactions.
Section 6. Regional and Local Officer Elections.
Members elected to Regional positions and Local Officers and Committee Members must be members of the Region/Local they serve.
Section 7. Quorum for Local Meetings.
For Local meetings a quorum shall consist of 5 members or 5% of the Local members, whichever is greater. Any resulting fraction shall be rounded upward to the next whole number. For the purpose of quorum, the number of officer members may not exceed the number of non-officer members.
Section 8. Local Committees.
Each Local may create standing and special Local committees as necessary to fulfill the purposes and functions of the Local.