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Bylaws

Fairfax Workers Coalition Bylaws

The Fairfax Workers Coalition has established, voted and adopted the current union bylaws as shown on this webpage

Introduction

The Fairfax Workers Coalition (FWC) has been formed to:

  • Improve the social and economic well-being of all of its members;
  • Promote equality for all members and to oppose all types of harassment and discrimination;
  • Promote the efficiency of public services;
  • Provide a democratic and transparent union, the operations and finances of which are accessible to all members.
The following bylaws are adopted by FWC in accordance to protect the rights of all members, to provide for responsible governance of the FWC, and to involve as many members of the FWC as possible through the sharing of duties and responsibilities.

Section 1

NAME

 

The name of this organization shall be Fairfax Workers Coalition (FWC).

Section 2

OBJECTIVES

 

The objectives of FWC are to: (a) Secure the best possible pay, benefits, working conditions, job security, pensions and retiree benefits for its members;

 

(b) Provide an opportunity for its members to influence and shape their future through free, democratic and transparent operation;

 

(c) Encourage the settlement by negotiation and mediation of all the disputes between the members and their employers;

 

(d) Eliminate harassment and discrimination of any sort or on any basis; for the equality of treatment regardless of class, race, color, nationality, age, sex/gender, language, sexual orientation, place of origin, ancestry, religious beliefs, or mental and physical disability; and the active opposition of discrimination of same wherever it occurs or appears;

 

(e) Establish strong working relationships with the public we serve and the communities in which we work and live.

Section 3

MEMBERSHIP

 

(a) Membership

 

An individual employed by Fairfax County, Virginia government, or a retiree thereof, at pay grade S-32 and below, is eligible for membership.

 

(b) Approval of Membership

 

At the first membership meeting after the application has been submitted, the name(s) of the applicant(s) will be read out and unless a majority of members present at the meeting object, the applicant(s) will be accepted into membership.

 

(Article B.8.4)

 

(c) Continuation of Membership

 

Once accepted, a member continues as a member in good standing while employed within the jurisdiction of the FWC unless the member loses good standing.

 

(Article B.8.3)

 

(d) Member Obligations

 

Members are obligated to abide by the FWC bylaws as amended from time to time. Members will provide the Secretary Treasurer with their current address, home telephone contact number and where available, an e-mail address. The member will advise the Secretary Treasurer of any changes to their contact information. This information will be protected and used to communicate with members. Such communication will take the form of mail, e-mail blasts or telephone town halls.

Section 4

AFFILIATIONS

 

While the FWC is not formally affiliated with any standing labor organization, the FWC will act in coalition and partnership in objectives of other labor, employee and community organizations to the benefit of all Fairfax County workers and retirees.

Section 5

MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS

 

(a) Regular General Membership Meetings

 

Regular membership meetings of FWC will be held at least monthly, on the first Wednesday of the month, at 1200. Notice of each regular membership meeting outlining the date, time and location shall be given to members at least seven days in advance of the meeting.

 

When a situation beyond the control of the FWC arises which causes the cancellation of a regular membership meeting, the Executive Board shall reschedule the regular membership meeting, and will give members seven days’ notice of the date of the rescheduled regular membership meeting.

 

(b) Special Membership Meetings

 

Special membership meetings of the FWC may be required, and shall be called by the Executive Board or may be requested in writing by no fewer than 5 members. The President shall immediately advise members when a special meeting is called, and ensure that all members receive at least twenty-four (24) hours’ notice of the special meeting, the subject(s) to be discussed, the date, time and location. No business shall be transacted at the special meeting other than that for which the meeting is called and notice given.

 

(c) Quorum

 

The minimum number of members required to be in attendance for the transaction of business at any regular or special meeting shall be 10 members, plus at least 2 members of the Executive Board.

 

(d) Membership Meeting Agenda

 

The order of business at regular membership meetings is as follows:

  1. Roll call of officers
  2. Voting on new members and initiation
  3. Reading of the minutes
  4. Matters arising from the minutes
  5. Secretary-Treasurer’s Report, to include full financial and membership information
  6. Communications and bills
  7. Executive Committee (or Board) Report
  8. Nominations, elections, or installations
  9. Unfinished business
  10. New business
  11. Good of the FWC
  12. Adjournment

Section 6

OFFICERS

 

The Officers of FWC shall be the President, Vice-President, and Secretary-Treasurer. The Board, with the full consent of the membership, will appoint positions as necessary to deal with grievance issues, health and safety, and other positions as noted below.

Section 7

EXECUTIVE BOARD

 

(a) The Executive Board shall include all Officers.

 

(b) The Executive Board shall meet at least once per month. All Meetings will be open to the membership, with closed sessions only called for good cause and to protect affected members.

 

(c) A majority of the Executive Board constitutes a quorum.

 

(d) The Executive Board shall hold title to any real estate as trustees. They shall have no right to sell, convey, or encumber any real estate without first giving notice and then submitting the proposal to a membership meeting and having it approved.

 

(e) The Executive Board shall do the work delegated to it by the Local Union and shall be held responsible for the proper and effective functioning

Section 8

DUTIES OF OFFICERS

 

Each Officer of FWC is encouraged to participate in educational courses to enhance their leadership skills and expand their knowledge and expertise. The membership will have the same opportunities. All Officers must give all properties, assets, funds and all records of the FWC to their successors at the end of their term of Office.

 

(a) President

 

The President shall:

  • Enforce the FWC Local bylaws and the Equality Statement.
  • Interpret these bylaws as required.
  • Preside at all membership and Executive Board meetings and preserve order.
  • Decide all points of order and procedure (subject always to appeal to the membership).
  • Have the same right to vote as other members. In the case of a tie vote, the President may cast another vote or the President may refrain from casting an additional vote, in which case the motion is defeated.
  • Ensure that all Officers perform their assigned duties.
  • Fill committee vacancies where elections are not provided for.
  • Introduce new members.
  • Sign all checks and ensure that the Local Union’s funds are used only as authorized or directed by the membership.
  • Be allowed necessary and reasonable funds to reimburse the President or any Officers for expenses incurred on behalf of the Local Union. Expense claims must be listed on a proper form outlining the expense, the reason for the expense, and with supporting receipt(s) attached.

(b) Vice-President

 

The Vice-President shall:

  • If the President is absent or not eligible, perform all duties of the President.
  • Preside over membership and Executive Board meetings in the absence of the President.
  • If the office of the President falls vacant, be Acting President until a new President is elected through a by-election.
  • Render assistance to any member of the Executive as directed by the Executive

(c) Secretary-Treasurer

 

The Secretary-Treasurer shall:

  • Receive all revenue, initiation fees, dues, and assessments, keeping a record of each member’s payments, and deposit promptly all money with a bank or credit union.
  • Sign all checks and ensure that the FWC’s funds are used only as authorized or directed by the Local Union bylaws, or vote of the membership. In consultation with the Executive Board, designate a signing officer during prolonged absences.
  • Be responsible for maintaining, organizing, safeguarding and keeping on file all supporting documents, authorizations, invoices and financial obligations of FWC.
  • Make available for inspection to any member of FWC, upon request, a financial statement for the FWC. Any member shall have the right to question any expense of the FWC.

Section 9

NOMINATION, ELECTION AND INSTALLATION OF OFFICERS

 

(a) Nominations

  1. Nominations will be received at the regular membership meeting held in the month of September, beginning in 2017.
  2. Nominations will be accepted from members in attendance at the nomination meeting or from those members who have allowed their name to be filed in writing at the meeting, witnessed by another member.
  3. To be eligible for nomination, the nominee must have been accepted into membership and continue to be a member in good standing.
  4. A member may accept nomination for a position while holding office in any position. If successful in the election, their resignation from their current position will take effect at that time.
  5. No member will be eligible for nomination if they are in arrears of dues and/or assessments.

(b) Elections

  1. The President, Vice-President and Secretary-Treasurer are elected in odd years.
  2. At a membership meeting, at least one month prior to Election Day, the President will, subject to the approval of the members present, appoint an Elections Committee consisting of three members not running for any office. The Elections Committee shall have full responsibility for voting arrangements and shall treat information submitted to it in connection with its responsibilities as confidential.
  3. The Elections Committee will determine the form of the ballot and the method of the election.
  4. The Election Committee will be responsible for the fair and impartial conduct of the election.
  5. The voting will be done by secret ballot, conducted through a mail out process.
  6. Voting to fill one office will be conducted and completed, and recounts dealt with before balloting may begin to fill another office.
  7. A majority of votes cast will be required before any candidate can be declared elected, and second and subsequent ballots will be taken if necessary to obtain a majority. On the second and subsequent ballots, the candidate receiving the lowest number of votes in the previous ballot will be dropped.
  8. Any member may request a recount of the votes for any election and a recount will be conducted if the request is supported, in a vote, by at least the number of members equal to the quorum for a membership meeting.
  9. All election complaints by members will be submitted in writing to as soon as possible but in no circumstances will a complaint be valid if it is filed later than seven days after the election.

(c) Installation of Officers

 

All duly elected Officers shall be installed at the meeting following the completion of scheduled elections and shall continue in office for 2 years or until a successor has been elected and installed.

 

(d) By-elections

 

Should an office fall vacant for any reason, the resulting by-election should be conducted as closely as possible in conformity with this section. The election to fill the remainder of the vacated officer’s term shall be held within 30 days at the next general membership meeting, with nominations and balloting to be conducted at that meeting.

Section 9

FEES, DUES AND ASSESSMENTS

 

(a) Initiation Fee

 

There are no initiation fees at this time.

 

(b) Readmission Fee

 

Members who leave membership may be readmitted to membership in the same manner as noted above, having applied for membership in FWC. These members will be subject to a readmission fee of $50, plus the amount of dues that would have been paid since their departure.
Arrangements to pay these arrears can be made with the approval of the Secretary Treasurer.

 

(c) Monthly Dues

 

The monthly dues shall be $20, or $10 per pay period.

 

(d) Amending Monthly Dues

 

The regular monthly dues may be amended at a regular or special membership meeting or by referendum vote. The vote must be by secret ballot. Notice of at least seven days at a previous meeting or 60 days in writing must be given.

 

(e) Assessments

 

Assessments do not mean or include regular monthly dues and are applied for a specific purpose or specific length of time. Membership approval is required for all assessments.

Section 11

NONPAYMENT OF DUES AND ASSESSMENTS

 

A member who fails to pay dues and assessments for three months is automatically suspended from membership. The suspension will be reported to the Executive Board by the Secretary-Treasurer. The Executive Board will report all suspensions to the next membership meeting. The member may return to membership in good standing by paying a readmission fee and any back dues as determined by the Secretary Treasurer.

 

A member who has been unemployed or unable to work because of sickness or injury may have readmission fees and back dues waived.

 

It is the policy of FWC to assist all members in retaining their membership in times of hardship for the individual member.

Section 12

EXPENDITURES

 

(a) Payment of FWC Funds

 

Funds can only be spent for valid purposes of the Local Union under the following circumstances:

  • When the expenditure is authorized by a budget approved by a majority of members present and voting at a regular or special membership meeting;
  • When these bylaws approve the expenditure; or
  • Through a vote of the majority of members present and voting at a regular or special membership meeting.

(b) Payment of Local Union Funds to Members or Causes Outside of FWC

 

In the case of a grant or a contribution to a member(s) or a cause(s) outside of FWC greater than $500, a notice of motion must be made at a regular membership meeting and then approved at the following regular or special membership meeting before the grant or contribution can be paid out. The approval meeting must be no earlier than seven days after the meeting where notice of motion has been given.

 

(c) No Officer or member of FWC will be allowed to spend any funds without first having received authorization under these bylaws.

Section 13

OUT-OF-POCKET EXPENSES

 

Local Union Officers and committee members shall be provided an out-of-pocket expense allowance as approved by the membership in its annual budget. These allowances shall be subject to membership approval and records shall be kept by the Treasurer, subject to membership inspection upon request.

Section 14

Committees

 

(a) Special Committees

 

A special committee may be established for a specified purpose and a specified period of time by the membership at a meeting. The members shall be elected at a membership meeting, or may, by specific authorization of the membership, be appointed by the President or the Executive Board. Two members of the Board may sit on any special committee as ex-officio members.

 

(b) Permanent Committees

 

The Chairperson of each permanent committee will be elected by the members at a membership meeting. Permanent committees will have a term of one year. The Chairperson and the Executive Board may, with the approval of the membership, jointly appoint other members to serve on a committee. Committees will provide written reports to each regular membership meeting. The Vice-President shall be a member, ex-officio, of each committee.

 

There shall be permanent committees as follows:

 

Health and Safety Committee

 

This committee will:

  • Work to educate members on the importance of workplace health and safety.
  • Prepare and present reports to the regular membership meetings.
  • Participate on the Joint Worksite Health and Safety Committees at their workplace, as established.
  • Promote safe work procedures and environments so as to prevent illness and injury as a result of workplace factors.
  • Immediately bring to the attention of the employer any workplace hazard that has the potential to cause members’ illness or injury.
  • Work to eliminate all workplace hazards, be they physical, environmental, or social.

Bylaw Committee

 

This committee will:

  • Meet within 60 days of the establishment of FWC as a recognized employee group within Fairfax County for the purpose of reviewing these by laws and making changes as needed.
  • Review the bylaws annually and make recommendations to the Executive Board on proposed amendments.
  • Review any proposed amendments received from the Executive Board or membership of the FWC to ensure that the amendments will conform to the remainder of the bylaws.
  • Ensure that the FWC’s bylaws are written in clear language.

Membership Support Committee

 

This committee will:

  • Visit and check on members who are ill for more than a week.
  • Arrange some token of the FWC’s concern and desire to help, whether the member is at home or in hospital.
  • Extend the FWC’s condolences in the event of the death of a member or one of their immediate family, and make other appropriate gestures in accordance with custom or the wishes of the family concerned.

The committee members will be selected by the elected officers, subject to the approval of the membership.

 

Social Committee

 

This committee will:

  • Arrange and conduct all social, cultural, and recreational activities of the FWC, either on the committee’s own initiative or as a result of decisions taken at membership meetings. The committee shall submit reports and proposals.

A budget for the committee will be fixed annually by the membership but, other than that, all social, cultural, and recreational events and activities shall be self- supporting.

 

The committee members will be selected by the elected officers, subject to the approval of the membership.

 

Membership Assistance Fund Committee

  • This committee will be established for the purpose of developing a fund to assist members in need because of unavoidable circumstances that have rendered them in need of financial help. This Committee will meet within 60 days of the establishment of the FWC as a recognized employee organization.

Section 15

RULES OF ORDER

 

Meetings of the FWC will be conducted in accordance with Robert’s Rules of Order.

Section 16

AMENDMENTS

 

(a) Additional Bylaws

 

FWC will amend its bylaws as noted below:

 

The amended or additional bylaws are approved by majority vote at a regular membership meeting or at a special membership meeting called for that purpose; and notice of the intention to propose the amended or additional bylaws was given at least fifteen days before at a previous membership meeting or 60 days before in writing.

 

(b) Effective Date of Amended or Additional Bylaws

 

The amended or additional bylaws are in effect the first of the month following the approval of the membership, as expressed at a general membership meeting.

Section 17

PRINTING AND DISTRIBUTION OF BYLAWS

 

All Members will receive a copy of FWC bylaws, either in paper format, electronic message, or via the FWC website. Members with special needs may request a copy of the bylaws in larger font.

Appendix A

FWC EQUALITY STATEMENT

 

Solidarity is based on the principle that all members are equal and deserve mutual respect at all levels. Any behavior that creates conflict prevents us from working together to strengthen our union.

 

As workers, mutual respect, cooperation, and understanding are our goals. We should neither condone nor tolerate behavior that undermines the dignity or self-esteem of any individual or creates an intimidating, hostile, or offensive environment.

 

Discriminatory speech or conduct which is racist, sexist, or personally hurtful divides us. So too does discrimination on the basis of ability, age, class, religion and ethnic origin.

 

Sometimes discrimination takes the form of harassment. Harassment means using real or perceived power to abuse, devalue, or humiliate. Harassment should not be treated as a joke. The uneasiness and resentment that it creates are not feelings that help us grow as an organization.

 

Discrimination and harassment focus on characteristics that make us different; and they reduce our capacity to work together on shared concerns such as decent wages, safe working conditions, and justice in the workplace, society, and in our union.

 

FWC’s policies and practices must reflect our commitment to equality. Members and elected officers must be mindful that all persons deserve dignity, equality, and respect.

Appendix B

CODE OF CONDUCT

 

FWC is committed to ensuring that all of its meetings and activities are safe environments where members are encouraged to speak. Existing members are encouraged to welcome, mentor and support new members and equity-seeking members.

 

FWC strives to promote core values which include the principles of solidarity, equality, democracy, integrity, and respect. We are committed to mobilizing our energy and skills to work together to promote these values and to attain these goals in our union, our communities.

 

FWC is committed to creating an organization which is inclusive, welcoming, and free from harassment, discrimination and all types of bullying and intimidation. FWC needs to ensure that it provides a safe environment for members and elected officers to carry out our work. FWC expects that mutual respect, understanding and co-operation will be the basis of all our interaction.

 

This Code of Conduct for FWC sets out standards of behavior for members at meetings, and all other events organized by FWC. It is consistent with the expectations outlined in the Equality Statement and these bylaws.

 

As members of FWC we commit to one another and to the union to be governed by the principles of the Code of Conduct and agree to:

  • Abide by the provisions of the Equality Statement;
  • Respect the views of others, even when we disagree;
  • Recognize and value individual differences;
  • Communicate openly;
  • Support and encourage each other;
  • Make sure that we do not harass or discriminate against each other;
  • Commit to not engaging in offensive comment or conduct;
  • Make sure that we do not act in ways that are aggressive, bullying, or intimidating;

Harassment is objectionable behavior which may include actions, language, gestures, and/or written material, and which the harasser knows or ought reasonably to know is abusive and unwelcome. Bullying is a form of harassment which is serious ongoing behavior which targets an individual or group and which threatens that person or persons’ mental and/or physical well-being.

 

A complaint regarding this Code of Conduct will be handled as follows:

  1. If possible, a member may attempt to deal directly with the person alleged to have engaged in behavior contrary to the Code, by asking the person to stop such behavior. If that is not possible, or if it does not resolve the problem, a member may bring forward a complaint.
  2. Once a complaint is received, a designated Officer of FWC will work to seek a resolution.
  3. If this fails to resolve the matter, the designated Officer of the Local Union shall report the matter to the person in charge, who shall determine whether there is need to remove the member. The person in charge has the authority to expel members from the event for serious or persistent offenses.

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