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Standard Sublocal Constitution

[Approved by Provincial Executive Council 2007 09]

Name

1. The name of this sublocal association shall be _______________________ sublocal association of the _______________________ local association of The Alberta Teachers’ Association (the Association).

Membership

2. All teachers in the _______________________ local association within the _______________________ [describe the boundaries of the sublocal] shall be members of this sublocal association.

Objects

3. This sublocal association shall further the aims and objects of the _______________________ local association and The Alberta Teachers’ Association and shall regard the promotion of professional development activities among its members as its primary function.

Fees

4. This sublocal association shall have the power, subject to approval of the executive committee of the local association and the Provincial Executive Council of The Alberta Teachers’ Association, to levy fees for membership in this sublocal association such as are determined from time to time in a general meeting of the sublocal association. Such fees shall be additional to the fees prescribed by the Annual Representative Assembly.

Meetings

5. (1) Regular meetings of this sublocal association shall be called not less than once each month.
(2) The regular meeting shall be called on _______________________ [state date].
(3) Each member shall be given at least two days’ notice of all meetings and an outline or agenda of business to be transacted, provided, however, that any meeting may, by vote of two-thirds of the total number of members on the roster, waive notice of a meeting or any motion brought before the meeting.
(4) The number of members required to constitute a quorum at any meeting shall be one-third of the number of members on the roster, and in no case shall the number be less than six.
(5) A report on professional development activities shall be given at each meeting.
(6) A record of all members attending each meeting shall be kept.

Rules of procedure

6. The proceedings of all meetings shall be regulated by the official Rules of Order and Procedure as published in the Members’ Handbook.

Executive committee

7. The executive committee of this sublocal shall consist of
(a) officers—president, vice-president, past president and secretary-treasurer;
(b) local association representative (or representatives); and
(c) (c) communications officer.

Duties of the executive committee

8. The duties of the executive committee shall be
(a) to prepare the agenda of business for all meetings,
(b) to have general supervision of the affairs of this sublocal association,
(c) to authorize all expenditures of this sublocal association,
(d) to prepare and transmit to the head office of The Alberta Teachers’ Association or to the secretary-treasurer of the local association such forms and statements as may be required from time to time and
(e) to ensure that all Association moneys are used to further the objects of the Association as set out in the Teaching Profession Act.

Election of officers

9. (1) The officers of this sublocal association shall be elected annually by vote of the members of this sublocal association not later than _______________________ [state date] of each year.
(2) A vacancy on the executive committee occurring between annual meetings shall be filled by election at the following regular monthly meeting.

Duties of officers

10. (1) President—The duty of the president shall be to call and preside at all meetings and to be chair of the executive committee of this sublocal association.
(2) Vice-president—The duty of the vice-president shall be to take charge of the affairs of this sublocal association in the absence of the president.
(3) Secretary-treasurer—The duties of the secretary-treasurer shall be
(a) to keep accurate records of all proceedings of this sublocal association,
(b) to keep accurate records of all moneys received and collected and to take charge of same and of all expenditures made and to report both receipts and expenditures to the membership from time to time,
(c) to bring before the executive committee and all meetings of this sublocal association all official notices and communications received from The Alberta Teachers’ Association or from the local association,
(d) to make the necessary disbursements of the funds of this sublocal association as authorized
(e) to prepare and forward all reports required from time to time by the local association and The Alberta Teachers’ Association and
(f) to prepare and send notices calling all meetings.
(4) Local association representative—The duty of the local association representative shall be to act as the liaison between this sublocal association and the local association.
(5) Communications officer—The duties of the communications officer shall be those approved by the executive committee.
(6) School representatives—The duties of the school representatives shall include attending meetings of this sublocal.

Provincial Association Intervention

11. (1) In this section,
(a) investigated sublocal officer means a sublocal officer whose conduct is under investigation pursuant to subsection (2);
(b) investigator is the individual appointed by the table officers pursuant to subsection (2);
(c) sublocal officer means the president, vice-president, past president or secretary-treasurer of a sublocal association or any other officer appointed or elected by a sublocal association;
(d) Provincial Executive Council means the executive council as defined in section 11 of the Teaching Profession Act;
(e) table officers means the Association’s officers as defined in Bylaw 35;
(f) executive secretary means the chief executive officer of the Association or a person designated by the executive secretary; and
(g) staff officer means a member of executive staff designated by the executive secretary.

Suspension or Removal from Office of Sublocal Officers

(2) Where the table officers have or receive information which leads them to believe that a sublocal officer
(a) has neglected his or her duties to the extent that the proper operation of the sublocal association is being negatively affected,
(b) is mentally incapacitated,
(c) is engaging in corrupt practices,
(d) is engaging in financial malpractice or
(e) has undertaken activities inconsistent with the principles and policies of The Alberta Teachers’ Association,
the table officers may initiate an investigation into the conduct of the sublocal officer by appointing an individual to conduct an investigation and to provide a written report to the table officers within a specified time with respect to the results of the investigation.
(3) In the course of the intervention under section 11, an investigated sublocal officer is entitled to have access to an executive staff officer for advice.
(4) The table officers may, taking into account the nature of the alleged conduct, the urgency of the matter in question and any submission from the investigated sublocal officer, suspend an investigated sublocal officer from office pending the completion of the investigation and may terminate the suspension at any time if the table officers conclude that the suspension is no longer warranted.
(5) The table officers may appoint another individual to assume the duties of the investigated sublocal officer during the period of the suspension.
(6) The investigated sublocal officer may appeal a suspension from office under subsection (4) to the Provincial Executive Council by filing a notice of appeal with the executive secretary within 30 days of being notified of the suspension.
(7) If an investigated sublocal officer appeals his or her suspension, Provincial Executive Council shall, as soon as practicable, consider representations of the table officers and the investigated sublocal officer and shall determine if the suspension should be continued pending the conclusion of the investigation or should be set aside.
(8) During the investigation the investigated sublocal officer shall be provided with an opportunity to provide a response to the investigator with respect to the concerns about the investigated sublocal officer’s conduct.
(9) An investigated sublocal officer may, in the course of the investigation, submit his or her resignation to the executive secretary.
(10) Where an investigated sublocal officer resigns in accordance with subsection (9), the investigation shall be continued with the cooperation of the investigated sublocal officer, and the resignation does not extinguish any liability that the investigated sublocal officer may have with respect to acts which occurred during the period the office was held.
(11) The investigated sublocal officer has a duty to cooperate during the investigation and the investigator may direct the investigated sublocal officer or any other member of The Alberta Teachers’ Association to
(a) answer any inquiries the investigator may have relating to the investigation;
(b) produce any records or other property in the investigated sublocal officer’s possession or under his or her control that are or may be related in any way to the investigation;
(c) give up possession of any record for the purpose of allowing the investigator to make a copy and return the records within a reasonable time of receiving the records; and
(d) attend before the investigator for the purpose of complying with (a), (b) or (c) of this subsection.
(12) In the event that the investigated sublocal officer fails or refuses to cooperate with the investigator, the failure to do so shall be noted by the investigator in his or her report to the table officers.
(13) Upon completion of the investigation, the investigator shall submit a written report to the table officers and a copy of the written report shall be provided to the investigated sublocal officer.
(14) The table officers, upon consideration of the report of the investigator, may make one or more of the following orders:
(a) remove the investigated sublocal officer from office;
(b) restrict the investigated sublocal officer’s eligibility for office in the future;
(c) if the investigated sublocal officer was suspended during the investigation, reinstate the investigated sublocal officer to office and impose any conditions or restrictions that the table officers consider appropriate in the circumstances;
and shall advise the investigated sublocal officer and Provincial Executive Council of their decision.
(15) If the table officers remove the investigated sublocal officer from office, then the table officers may appoint another individual to assume the duties of the investigated sublocal officer until a new sublocal officer is elected or appointed to the position in accordance with this constitution.
(16) The investigated sublocal officer may appeal the decision of the table officers under subsection (14) by filing a notice of appeal with the executive secretary within 30 days after being notified of the decision.
(17) If an investigated sublocal officer appeals the decision of the table officers, Provincial Executive Council shall, as soon as practicable, consider representations of the table officers and the investigated sublocal officer and shall determine if the decision of the table officers shall be confirmed, varied or set aside.
(18) In an appeal under subsection (7) or (17), the table officers may make submissions to Provincial Executive Council respecting the outcome of the appeal.

Official Trustee

(19) Subject to a two-thirds majority vote, Provincial Executive Council may appoint an official trustee to conduct the affairs of the sublocal, subject to any terms and conditions the Provincial Executive Council considers necessary:
(a) when the executive committee of a sublocal fails to comply with the requirements of section 8;
(b)

when the Provincial Executive Council considers it in the interests of the Association to do so.

(20) The sublocal may appeal the appointment of an official trustee to a representative assembly.
(21) An official trustee appointed under subsection (19) has the powers and duties conferred by the General Bylaws on a sublocal and conferred by this constitution.
(22) On appointment of an official trustee to the sublocal association, the officers of the sublocal cease to hold office as officers of the sublocal.
(23) An official trustee continues in office until the Provincial Executive Council or a representative assembly determines that the official trusteeship is no longer necessary.

Committees

12. This sublocal association shall have power to appoint special committees as determined by a general meeting.

Executive committee expenses

13. This sublocal association shall reimburse executive committee members or committee members for all necessary out-of-pocket expenses incurred while on business of the sublocal association.

Amendments to the constitution

14. Amendments to this constitution may be made after a one-month notice of motion at a general meeting of this sublocal association by a two-thirds vote, subject to ratification by the executive committee of the local association and the Provincial Executive Council of The Alberta Teachers’ Association.