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8/6/2019 AFT Model Constitution
1/10
Model ConstitutionRevision Guide To Promote
a Culture of Organizing
07/10
8/6/2019 AFT Model Constitution
2/10
Introduction...........................................................................................1
Objectives................................................................................................2
Membership...........................................................................................3
Election o Ofcers..............................................................................4
Duties o Ofcers.................................................................................5
Committees............................................................................................6
Representative Assembly.................................................................7
Duties o Representatives.................................................................8
Contents
Randi Weingarten, President
Antonia Cortese, Secretary-TreasurerLorretta Johnson, Executive Vice President
Copyright American Federation o Teachers, fl- (AFT) 2010.
Permission is hereby granted to AFT state and oca aiates
to reproduce and distribute copies o this work or nonprot
educationa purposes, provided that copies are distributed at or
beow cost, and that the author, source and copyright notice are
incuded on each copy. Any distribution o such materias by third
parties who are outside o the AFT or its aiates is prohibited
without rst receiving the express written permission o the AFT.
8/6/2019 AFT Model Constitution
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1
THE MODEL CONSTITUTIONS THAT the AFT oers to
oca unions were created beore the AFT Organizing
Committee went to work on renewing a Cuture o
Organizing throughout the union. Hence, these mode
constitutions do not directy reect the unions current
ocus on revitaizing oca unions and buiding powerthrough membership mobiization. What is oered here
is not an aternate mode constitution, but rather
a discussion o a number o options or amendment
that oca unions may want to consider in order to better
aign their constitution with the organizing cuture. e
introduction and debate o these amendments may aso
initiate overt discussion among union membership about
the concept o buiding the organizing cuture.
The introduction
and debate o
these
amendments
may initiate
overt discussion
among union
membership
about the
concept o
building the
organizing
culture.
Note: Unless otherwise noted, articles and sections referenced in this
paper correspond to theAFT Model Constitution for Large Locals.
References to the companionAFT Model Constitution for Smaller Locals
are made explicit.
Introduction
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Artice II o theAF Model Constitution (Objectives) has seven sections that dene the purpose o the
oca union: bargaining rights, member welfare, professional standards, mutual assistance, public good,
quality, democracy and trade unionism. Not expicit in these seven sections are at east three concepts or
buiding the cuture o organizing that might be considered as new or substitute sections or this artice.
MembershipPower: To engage in member outreach, engagement, education and activation in order
to buid understanding o the vaue o soidarity and coective action and that the primary purpose o
the union is empowerment or positive change.
StrongUnionChapters/TeamsattheWorksite:To promote strong union chapters/teams at the
worksite to serve as the primary ocation or membership engagement and activity. (I the word
chapters creates conusion, the oowing or other simiar anguage might be substituted: To promotestrong union teams at the worksite to serve as the nexus or membership engagement and activity.)
OrganizingtheUnorganized:To vigorousy expore organizing opportunities among workers in
reated eds in order to hep these workers gain representation and to strengthen the union; or To
vigorousy support eorts by the AFT or the AFT state ederation to organize workers in reated eds in
order to hep these workers gain representation and to strengthen the union.
In genera, oca unions shoud review the objectives in their constitutions and consider amending those
that dont convey their true goas. Aso, oca unions may want to consider preceding the ist o objec-
tives with a short preambe that denes the union and its purpose. e oowing provides one exampe,
athough the exact anguage each oca union uses shoud be very specic to its own situation: Te federa-
tion exists to build among its members the power of solidarity and collective action to inuence all matters
aecting their professional practice, to uphold quality in the institution in which they work, to create excel-lent working conditions and to align with other workers in the quest for economic and social justice.
Local unions
should review
the objectives
in their
constitutions
and consider
amending those
that dont
convey their
true goals.
Objectives
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Artice III o theAF Model Constitution narrowy denes eigibiity or membership to the empoyees o
a singe empoyer. is denition is imiting to ocas unions that are seeking to organize, or may seek to
organize, empoyees o charter schoos, chidcare workers, adjunct acuty, graduate assistants or other
emerging AFT constituencies. It is aso imiting to ocas that may want to consider merging with other
ocas or creating a ederated oca union structure in order to create an organization greater in size,
scae and abiity to be se-sustaining. Whether or not a oca union is currenty engaged in new organiz-
ing or merger/consoidation, proposing an amendment to this artice to expand eigibiity o member-
ship may initiate an important debate over the vision o a oca union with organizing as a priority.
Not incuded in this artice is any consideration o the dutiesandobligationsofunionmember-
ship. Whether added to this artice or the subject o a new artice, there may be vaue in incuding in
the constitution some denition o this concept. Exampe anguage may be as oows: Te power of
the union to achieve the objectives outlined in Article II relies on an educated and active membership.
Members of the union share basic duties and obligations of union membership that include making a
good-faith eort to stay informed of union issues and events, to participate in union governance and
to help build the union as a chapter at their worksites. Members also should take advantage of any
opportunities available commensurate with their positions of leadership and/or responsibility.Loca
unions with coective bargaining agreements may even want to consider anguage to the eect o
Members should make every possible eort to be prepared to participate in any work actions duly
authorized by the membership, including public demonstrations of union support, boycotts, strikes or
other work stoppages. Tis includes creating a savings account matching approximately one months
salary or more.
Finay, in Section 3 is a very engthy and detaied description o a procedure or member disci-
pine. Whie important anguage or ega reasons, such a procedure is rarey needed or used and itsincusion in the constitution may send an unintended message about the union to its members and
potentia members. ereore, oca unions may want to consider changing the tite o this section
to something ess inammatory (such as Interna Dispute Resoution) and reocating it to a ess
prominent pace in the document.
MembershipProposing an
amendment
to Article III
to expand
eligibility o
membership
may initiate
an important
debate over the
vision o a local
union with
organizing as
a priority.
Note: It is still important, however, to make sure that the constitution
be clear that its denition of active membership is aligned with the
bargaining unit or units that the local seeks to represent. The legal
issue here is that in matters involving collective bargaining negotiation,
administration or enforcement, only active members in the bargaining
unit and their representative on the executive board should vote on
these issues.
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In addition to estabishing procedures or the eection o ocers, Artice IV o theAF Model Constitu-
tion names the tites o our principa ocers (president, executive vice president, secretary, treasurer)
and vice presidents or undened constituency areas. Whie this anguage is good as ar as it goes, oca
unions seeking to buid the cuture o organizing may want to examine how their current constitution
makes specic the constituency areas or vice presidents with an eye on the oowing:
Representativevs.FunctionalResponsibilities:How the constitution denes constituency areas
or vice presidents may have impications or how these positions are perceived and ued by the
persons occupying them. Dening vice president positions or purey representationa purposes
(e.g., vice president or high schoos, vice president or adjunct acuty) may encourage ocers to see
their duties mosty as representing the issues and interests o their constituencies. Aternativey, de-
ning the vice president position unctionay (e.g., vice president or poitica action, vice president
or membership education and organizing) imparts a dierent message about the duties o these
ocers. e choice here does not need to be between the two modes. e constitution can create
some bending o both.
UnderrepresentedorPriorityConstituencies: Loca unions may want to consider dening in this
artice one or more vice president positions that are designated especiay or constituencies that
have been traditionay underrepresented in the unions structure or ones that the union or strategic
purposes wants to ensure has voice in the unions governance. One exampe o such a constituency
may be newer, younger members (e.g., under age 35 and/or zero to ve years seniority) or recenty
organized minority constituencies (e.g., charter schoo teachers). e identication o such con-
stituencies woud be through the process o proposing and adopting the oca union constitution or
amendments o the same.
Election of OcersWhen building
a culture o
organizing,
examine how
the current
constitution
makes specifc
the constituency
areas or vice
presidents.
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Artice V o theAF Model Constitution outines duties o various ocers. Loca unions may want to
consider the oowing two points in reation to this artice:
1. Loca unions may want to make expicit the oowing as duties o the
oca union president:
To buid the union in size, power and abiity to represent members
and provide a diverse program to address identied needs and interests.
To provide an array o membership invovement opportunities.
To hep unorganized workers win the benets o having a proessiona
voice through the union.
2. Missing rom the numerous duties isted are duties that directy reate
to the oca unions program o organizing/membership mobiization.
Loca unions may want to consider adding these as constitutiona duties
to one or more o its ocers. ese duties parae the Four Piars o
Eective Interna Organizing rom the AFT Membership Consoidation/
Interna Organizing Program:
Oversee the unions programs o new member outreach and induction.
Be responsibe or the unions structure o worksite eadership, incuding
dening their roe, providing training, and carrying out programs o support,
eedback, accountabiity, rewards and incentives.
Deveop membership mobiization campaigns around issues o importance
to the membership.
Maintain a membership database that incudes basic contact inormation
but aso data that supports organizing and membership mobiizations,
such as tracking o issues and union participation, voter registration status,
and assessment on eve o activism.
Duties of Ocers
Note: Section 5 of this article outlines duties for vice presidents as purely
representational (vs. functional) as discussed earlier in this paper. Local
unions that choose to dene vice presidential duties in a functional or
blended representational/functional manner should take the opportunity
in this article to more specically dene these duties.
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Artice VII o theAF Model Constitution provides a menu o standing committees rom which oca
unions are encouraged to pick those most appropriate or their ocus, resources and eve o member
participation. Whie these options incude organizing, oca unions may want to consider orming
committees more specic to organizing-reated matters. Four o the suggestions beow, ike what was
discussed earier in reation to ocer duties, parae the Four Piars o Eective Interna Organizing
rom the AFT Membership Consoidation/Interna Organizing Program:
NewEmployeeOutreach.e New Empoyee Outreach Committee sha be responsibe or pan-
ning and impementing the unions eorts to recruit and induct new hires as union members, to ori-
ent them to the union (and the contract), and to provide support or their success on the job during
their rst year, especiay through a program o persona contact with union mentors at the worksite.
WorksiteLeadershipDevelopment.e Worksite Leadership Deveopment Committee sha work
to identiy teams o union eaders at each worksite and deveop a program o support that incudes
dening their roe, providing training, support, eedback, accountabiity, rewards and incentives.
MembershipData. e Membership Data Committee sha oversee the deveopment and mainte-
nance o an accurate and up-to-date membership database and work continuay to enhance inor-
mation avaiabe to the union to assist in the panning and impementation o its program o interna
organizing and membership mobiization.
IssuesOrganizing/MembershipMobilization. e Issues Organizing/Membership Mobiization
Committee sha pan campaigns to engage and activate members on issues and activities o impor-
tance to the union.
CommunityRelations. e Community Reations Committee sha be responsibe or outreach tocommunity, aith-based, charitabe and other abor organizations and or overseeing the unions
work in coaitions o the same.
OrganizingtheUnorganized:e Organizing the Unorganized Committee sha be responsibe or
buiding the power o the union by reaching out to new groups o workers in reated eds and work-
ing with them to organize and achieve coective bargaining.
Aso, the section incudes ContractDevelopmentas a suggested committee. is might more appropri-
atey retited with the oowing description:
ContractDevelopment/ContractCampaigns: is committee sha be responsibe or invoving
the membership in the deveopment o contract proposas and in the campaigns to inuence the
outcome o negotiations.
CommitteesConsider
orming
committees
more specifc
to organizing-
related matters.
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eAF Model Constitutionfor Large Locals incudes Artice VII that vests egisative power o the
union in a representative assemby comprised o worksite eaders (reerred to as both stewards and
representatives in this artice). eAF Model Constitutionfor Smaller Local Unions does not incude
this artice even though smaer ocas may want to consider a representative assemby structure as part
o their strategy to eevate the status o its worksite eaders in the union by more directy invoving them
in the egisative power o the union. For smaer ocas, an important actor when considering adoption
o this mode is whether or not the oca has the membership density and engagement to sustain it.
It is aso in this artice that theAF Model Constitutionfor Large Locals outines the procedures or
eecting stewards/representatives. eAF Model Constitutionfor Smaller Locals again does not
incude this artice, even though there is no obvious reason why these oca unions woud not want
to outine in their constitution the procedures or choosing representatives (worksite eaders) in their
constitutions.
NumberofRepresentatives:Constitutiona anguage shoud be cear on the number o representa-
tive positions there wi be. is is best expressed as a ratio, such as one representative for every 10
members. e exact ratio used by the
oca is inormed by the nature o its membership and workpaces, but it shoud
be ow enough to make persona contact between representatives and their
constituencies manageabe.
MethodofSelection:Finay, when it comes to methods o seecting representatives, oca unions
may want to consider compementing eection procedures with the oowing:
Members who seek the position o representative must, rst, submit a petition o support rom at
east 10 percent o the members in good standing at the worksite or rom the constituency theyseek to represent. is woud show that the persons seeking these petitions have a oundation
o membership support and that they are comortabe approaching and taking with their eow
members.
Second, aong with the petition, the person seeking oce must submit an outine o a pan or
union buiding at the worksite during their term. e pan shoud be consistent with the duties de-
ned or representatives. Pans may be very simpe or very ambitious depending on the candidate
and depending on the current state o worksite structure or among their constituencies.
ese pans woud serve severa purposes. First, they provide a basis o comparison among can-
didates seeking eection. Second, they woud hep the oca union determine appropriate training
and support that representatives wi need to accompish their pans. ird, the pans can serve as
the basis o accountabiity or representatives on how we the pan was executed.
Shoud the number o candidates equa the number o positions at the worksite or or the constitu-ency, then candidates meeting the conditions outined above are simpy appointed or the term
dened by the constitution. I there are two or more candidates, then an eection is hed with the
pans submitted by the candidates as a actor or members to consider as they decide their vote.
TermofOce: eAF Model Constitution does not set a term o oce or representatives. Instead,
eections are triggered when vacancies or recas occur. Loca unions may want to consider having rep-
resentatives stand or reeection or reappointment ater a set term. e argument here is that this woud
increase accountabiity and encourage more overa invovement in determining the shape o the union
as a chapter at the worksite or among a constituency.
RepresentativeAssembly
An important
actor when
considering
adoption o the
representative
assembly model
is whether the
local has the
membership
density and
engagement
to sustain it.
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A number o considerations here:
1. eAF Model Constitutionfor Large Locals incudes Artice IX on the duties o representatives. e
AF Model Constitutionfor Smaller Local Unions does not incude this artice even though there is no
obvious reason why these oca unions woud not want to rame the duties o representatives (worksite
eaders) in their constitutions.
2. Artice IX uses both the terms representative and steward to describe the primary union eader at
the worksite, creating unnecessary conusion.
3. In addition to seecting a singe reerence o either steward or representative, oca unions may
want to rethink the tite used or this position and consider changing it to a tite that more accuratey
depicts the desired orientation o the person hoding that tite, especiay when it comes to organizing.
Some possibiities are:
Worksite Leader
Organizer
Invovement Coordinator
Membership Mobiizer
Membership Team Leader
4. Consistent with the discussion o Duties and Obigations o Membership earier in this paper, oca
unions may want to consider recasting the duties o representatives to duties o the union as a chap-
ter at the worksite in order to communicate that there is work o the union at the worksite that is sharedamong a members. Under this construct, the eected or appointed representative(s) unction as ead
organizers who seek to enist the hep o as many members as possibe to u the duties o the union
as a chapter at the worksite vs. one rangers who attempt to u these duties on their own.
5. e ist o duties in this artice or both representatives and assistant representatives is ight and not
very specic when it comes to organizing. Loca unions may want to consider more specicay dened
duties in reation to the oowing, whether written as duties o representatives or duties o the union
as a chapter at the worksite:
Maintenance o an accurate and up-to date roster o members and potentia members.
New empoyee outreach through a program o sustained, reguar contact.
Reguar worksite membership meetings in order to both impart and coect inormation.
Organizing conversations to identiy issues o concern and to assess eves o support orthe union.
Deveopment o issues advocacy campaigns that invove members in the resoution o both
union`wide issues and issues specic to the worksite.
Union visibiity eorts such as maintenance o an up-to-date and accessibe union buetin board
and use o proessiona deveopment, socia and good and weare activities.
Conduct o annua voter registration and COPE undraising campaigns.
Assisting in campaigns to organize new groups o workers in reated eds.
Duties ofRepresentatives
Rethink the
title used or
steward or
representative
and consider
changing it to a
title that more
accurately
depicts the
duties o the
person holding
that position,
especially when
it comes to
organizing.