Proposed Constitutional Amendments
to go before the 1999 PEF Convention

The following amendments were adopted by the PEF Executive Board at its March meeting to be presented to the 1999 PEF Convention for action:
Underscoring indicates new language, while bracketing indicates language to be deleted.

Amendment 1 (applies to Article XVI)
Note: The purpose of this amendment is to expand the time period permitted for scheduling the convention. In addition, it changes the notification language to reflect actual practice. The proposed change from May to March to establish membership numbers for constituencies gives the needed time for administrative activity. The last change (proceeding to preceding) corrects the grammar.

This amendment is meant to give the PEF Convention Committee more latitude and options when scheduling conventions. In some years, the committee has only one or two options to consider, after eliminating numerous dates because of holidays, religious holy days and election activity.

Article XVI - Convention
A. 1. The Convention shall meet once annually between [October] September 1st and November 30th....

A. 3. [A list of delegates including department, titles, and locations shall be distributed to the membership at least 30 days prior to the Convention. (for Founding Convention seven (7) days notice shall be given.)] A list of elected delegates including department, agency, title, title groupings, division and region shall be printed in the official union publication prior to the Convention.

C. 2. ...dues as of the first pay period in [May] March [proceeding] preceding the Convention.
This amendment would become effective immediately upon adoption by the convention.

Amendment 2 (applies to Articles XVI, VI, VII)
Note: This amendment would change the convention from yearly to biennial. In addition, language has been added to ensure apportionment for Executive Board seats is appropriate, by adding a mechanism that permits changes after the convention prior to election.
Section VII C. 4 is removed because the section on divisions (Article XX) has been amended and no longer addresses Executive Board representation.

The number of important issues actually considered by the convention has decreased in recent years. The convention has become more efficient as PEF has matured. This change would make available the time and resources necessary to do other important things, such as steward-training institutes or council-leader meetings.

Having conventions only in odd-numbered years means they will be held in the off year between the state legislative elections.

Article XVI - Convention
A. 1. The Convention shall meet once [annually] biennially between ....

Article VII - Executive Board
C. 3. c. The Secretary-Treasurer shall have the authority to call the convention delegates of a Department to a special meeting for the purpose of the reapportionment of Executive Board representatives from their Department if there have been significant changes in the membership of that Department or if requested by a majority of the Executive Board representatives of that department. This meeting shall take place no later than three (3) months prior to the petitioning period for the Regular Elections.

C. [.4 The Founding Convention apportionment for Executive Board Representatives may be modified with time following the alternatives outlined in the Article on Divisions, the only requirement being that a local union coalition have five hundred (500) members and that these members be subtracted from the Departmental membership rolls before apportionment for the next election.]
Old number C. 5. becomes new number C. 4.

Article VI - Officers
E. Secretary-Treasurer
15. Call a special meeting of convention delegates in a Department when significant changes in the membership of that Department warrant a review of the apportionment plan as provided in Article VII. C. 3. c.
Old numbers 15, 16, 17 become 16, 17, 18.

Numerous references are made throughout the Constitution to the "annual" convention. Under this amendment, the word annual will either be removed or replaced by "biennial."

The effective date of this amendment would be January 1, 2002. This means 2002 would be the first year with no convention, and the next two conventions would be held in the years 2003 and 2005.

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