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COMMUNICATIONS WORKERS OF AMERICA

LOCAL 6200 BYLAWS

ARTICLE I

NAME

This local shall be known as Local 6200, Communications Workers of

America.

ARTICLE II

JURISDICTION

Jurisdiction of this Local shall be the jurisdiction assigned by the Union and

appearing on the face of the Local charter.

ARTICLE III

OBJECT

The object of Local 6200shall be to represent the workers within its

Jurisdiction in accordance with the Bylaws and  Rules of the Local and the

Constitution and policies of the Union.

ARTICLE IV

LOCAL STRUCTURE

The structure of the Local shall consist of the following:

(1)    Membership

(2)    Executive Board

(3)    Officers

(4)    Committees

ARTICLE V

MEMBERSHIP

Section 1 – Eligibility

Any person eligible for membership in the Communications

Workers of America, as defined in Article V of its Constitution, shall be

Eligible for membership in this Local, if performing work within the

Local’s assigned jurisdiction, or if employed on a part-time or full-time

basis by the Union.

Section 2 – Application

Membership in the Local shall be obtained upon approval of a

membership committee authorized to accept or reject

membership on behalf of the Local, subject to the right of the

Local to over-rule the membership committee.

Section 3 – Transfers

The transfer of membership from this Local to the jurisdiction

of another Local, and from another Local to the jurisdiction of

this Local shall be made in accordance with Article V of the

Union Constitution.

ARTICLE VI

LOCAL DUES AND ASSESSMENTS

Section 1 – Local Dues

Each member of the Local shall pay minimum membership

dues in accordance with convention action.  Membership dues

may be changed only by a majority of those voting on the

question by secret ballot referendum, if the question has been

advertised on bulletin boards at least seven (7) days in advance of the

meeting or by notice mailed postage prepaid to each member at least

seven (7) days in advance of the meeting or by convention action.

Section 2 – Local Special Assessments

The membership of this Local may levy a special assessment

Only in the same manner as provided for changing Local dues.

However, any special assessments levied shall be in

compliance with Article VI of the Union Constitution.

ARTICLE VII

GOVERNING AUTHORITY

Section 1 – Membership

The affairs of this Local shall be governed by its membership in

accordance with the Constitution and policies of the Union in the

following manner:

(a)                Through action taken in membership meetings or by

referendum of the membership.

(b)               Through actions and decisions of the Executive Board

between membership meetings.

(c)                Through actions and decisions of the Local officers

between meetings of the Executive board.

(d)               The action and decisions of the Executive Board and

officers of the Local between Local meetings may be

overruled by the membership in a Local meeting or by

referendum.

Section 2 – Executive Board

The Executive Board shall consist of the following members:

(a)                Local President

(b)               Vice president Southwestern Bell

(c)                Vice President Cingular

(d)               Local Secretary

(e)                Local Treasurer

(f)                 Four (4) Chief Stewards, two(2) to be chosen from Cingular, one (1) to be chosen from Operator Services, and one (1) to be chosen from all other bargaining units.

The Local President, Vice President Southwestern Bell, Vice President Cingular, Local Secretary, and Local Treasurer shall be elected in accordance with Article XV, Section 3 of the CWA Constitution by membership secret ballot.

Chief Stewards shall be elected by membership secret ballot.

The Chief Stewards from Cingular shall only appear on the Cingular ballot.  Chief Steward from Operator Services shall appear only on their ballots.  The Chief Stewards from all other bargaining units shall appear only on their ballots.  The Chief Stewards shall be elected every three (3) years so their tenure of office shall run concurrent with that of Local officers.

Section 3 – Executive Board Authority

The Executive Board shall have the authority to:

(a)                Approve the expenditure of Union moneys when the Local

is not in session.

(b)               It will be the major duty of the Executive Board to see that the

affairs of the Local are carried on in an efficient and business like manner.  To this end, all unusual matters that may arise concerning the Local shall be considered by the Executive Board and their recommendations made know to the Local members.

(c)                The President shall have a vote only in the case of a tie.

ARTICLE VIII

LOCAL MEETINGS

Regular meetings of this Local shall be held on the second Tuesday of each month.

Special meetings may be called by a majority vote of the Local officers; or, by a petition signed by fifty (50) members of the Local.  Upon receipt of a proper petition, the Local officers shall call a special meeting to be held within ten (10) days.

ARTICLE IX

LOCAL DELEGATES TO INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION

A.                The first delegate to the Union Convention shall be the Local President,

who shall act as Chairman of the Delegation.  Any additional delegates as deemed appropriate by National, shall be chosen from the Local officers by the Executive Board.  An alternate delegate shall be nominated and then elected from the membership floor to accompany the delegation to the International Convention.

B.                 The Local shall determine the Convention votes assigned to each delegate

in accordance with Article VIII of the Union Constitution.

C.                It shall be the duty of the Secretary of the Local to certify the Local

delegates to the Union Convention to the Secretary-Treasurer of the Union within the time limits specified in Article VIII of the Union Constitution.

ARTICLE X

LOCAL COMMITTEES

A.                The Local shall have the following regular committees:

(1)               Education Committee

(2)               Election Committee

(3)               Organizing Committee

(4)               Legislative Committee

(5)               Membership Committee

(6)               Community Services

(7)               Religion and Labor Committee

(8)               Audit and Finance

B.                 Members of all committees shall be appointed by a majority vote of the

Local officers, subject to the right of the Local membership to overrule such appointments.

C.                Vacancies on committees shall be filled in the same manner as the original

appointments.

D.                A member of any Local Committee may be removed by majority vote of

the Local officers, subject to the right of the Local to overrule the action of the Local officers.  A committee member may also be removed by action of the Local in a membership meeting.

E.                 Duties of Committees

(1)               Education Committee – The Education Committee shall assist in

Developing the Local’s education program and,  with the local officers, be responsible for effectuating the Union’s and Local’s educational programs.

(2)               Election Committee – The Election Committee shall conduct all

nominations, elections, and referenda of this Local.

(3)               Organizing Committee – The Organizing Committee shall assist

the Local officers and members in organizing all non-union employees within the Local’s jurisdiction.

(4)               Legislative Committee – The Legislative Committee shall assist in

Developing and pursuing the program of the Union and the Local in the legislative field.  The committee shall be responsible for the Local’s program to register each voter.

(5)               Membership Committee – The Membership Committee shall

accept or reject membership applications in accordance with the Bylaws and Rules of the Local, and Article V of the CWA Constitution and policies of the Union.

(6)               Community Services Committee – The Community Services

Committee shall assist in developing all community service programs.

(7)               Religion and Labor Committee – The Religion and Labor

Committee shall be responsible for securing a minister or lay person to appear at each Local meeting.  They shall assist the Local in its program to bring about a better understanding of its principles and aims in the religion and labor field.

(8)               Audit and Finance – the Audit and Finance Committee reviews the

financial operation of the Local.  They will audit, or cause to be audited, the financial records of the Local.  They will make monthly reports to the Executive Board and membership.

ARTICLE XI

ORDER OF BUSINESS

A.                The order of business at a Local meeting shall be as follows:

(1)               Call to order

(2)               Reading and action of minutes of previous meeting

(3)               Reading and action or report from Treasurer

(4)               Reports of Committees

(5)               Unfinished business

(6)               New business

(7)               Adjournment

B.                 The order of business may be suspended by a two-thirds(2/3) vote

of the members present.

ARTICLE XII

LOCAL OFFICERS, STEWARDS, AND THEIR DUTIES

Section 1 – Local Officers

A.     The officers of the Local shall be:

(1)   Local President

(2)   Vice President Southwestern Bell

(3)   Vice President Cingular

(4)   Local Secretary

(5)   Local Treasurer

B.     The duties of the Local Officers shall be as follows:

(1)   The Local President shall

(a)                Be responsible for the conduct of all Local business;

(b)               Preside at Local membership, Local Executive Board,

and Local Officer’s meetings.

(c)                Prosecute grievances and appeal them to higher levels of the

Union when not satisfactorily settled.

(d)               Supervise all Local Committees.

(e)                Approve all bills to be paid, and countersign all checks

drawn on the Local treasury; and

(f)                 Perform whatever additional duties as may be assigned

by the Local or required by the policies or

Constitution of the Union.

(2)   The Vice President Southwestern Bell and Vice President Cingular shall:

(a)                Work under the direction of the Local President.

(b)               Perform whatever duties as may be assigned by the Local,

the Local Executive Board or the Local President.

(3)   The Local Secretary shall:

(a)                Maintain a record of the Local Membership;

(b)               Record and maintain the minutes of all meetings of the

Local, the Local Executive Board, or the Local Officers; and make available the minutes to the membership upon request.

(c)                Furnish the District Vice President and Secretary-Treasurer

of the Union with copies of any changes in these bylaws within ten (10) days after such changes are made.

(d)               Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Local,

the Local Executive Board, or the Local President.

(4)   The Local Treasurer shall:

(a)                Be custodian of all assets of the Local.

(b)               Report to each membership meeting on the financial status of

The Local.

(c)                Be bonded, as must any other person who handles Local

Funds or other property, in accordance with the Union

Constitution or any other State or Federal Law.

(d)               Cause payment of all bills approved by the Local President.

(e)                Perform such other duties as may be assigned by the Local,

the Local Executive Board or the Local President.

Section 2 – Chief Stewards

A.                The Local shall have one(1) chief steward from Operator Services,

two(2) chief stewards from Cingular, and one(1) from all other bargaining units.

B.                 The duties of all chief stewards shall be as follows:

(1)               The four (4) Chief stewards shall work under the direction of the

Local President.

(2)               Preform whatever duties as may be assigned by the Local,

the Local Executive Board, the Local President, Vice President Southwestern Bell, and Vice President Cingular.

Section 3 – Local Stewards

A.                The Local work group shall elect as many Local Stewards as may be

necessary to represent the membership.

B.                 The duties of all Local stewards shall be as follows:

(1)               Work under the direction of the Local President;

(2)               Perform whatever duties as may be assigned by the Local, the

Local Executive Board or the Local President.

ARTICLE XIII

CONDUCT OF MEETINGS, OTHER LOCAL BUSINESS AND QUORUM

A.     Membership meetings and any other business of this Local shall be conducted

Under these Bylaws and rules of the Local and in conformity with the Union

Constitution.  On questions where the Local rules or the Union Constitution do

not clearly apply, Robert’s rules of Order shall govern.

B.     The members present shall constitute a quorum for Local meetings.

C.        A majority of the officers or a majority of the members of a committee shall

constitute a quorum for those bodies.

ARTICLE XIV

NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF LOCAL OFFICERS AND CHIEF STEWARDS

Section 1 – Nominations

A.                A notice of nominations shall be mailed to each member at his last known

Address.

B.                 Local officers and Chief stewards shall be nominated in the month of

September every three (3) years by a Nominating Committee selected by the Local.  The Nominating Committee shall make its report to a membership meeting and its report may be amended by nominations from the floor.

C.                The nomination of a person for the office of Local President, Vice

President Southwestern Bell, Vice President Cingular, Local Secretary or Local Treasurer shall be in accordance with Article IX of these Bylaws and shall also constitute the nomination of the same person as a delegate to the CWA Conventions held during the term of office for which the election is being conducted.

D.                After a member has had their name submitted, or upon being placed in

nomination from the floor, said member shall give written consent that they will accept the office for which their names were placed in nomination.  Members will further agree in their written letter of consent, that they will serve in the office that they are nominated for, and in doing so, accept the duties and responsibilities as stated in Article XII of the Bylaws of the Local.

Section 2 – Elections

A.                Election of Local Officers and Chief Stewards shall be by secret ballot of

the membership in the month of October every three (3) years.  A vote for Local President, Vice President Southwestern Bell, Vice President Cingular, Local Secretary or Local Treasurer shall, in accordance with Article IX of the Bylaws, also constitute a vote for such candidate to serve as delegate to CWA conventions held during the term for which the election is conducted, in the event said candidate is elected.

B.                 Ballot is to be conducted by U.S. Mail.

Section 3 – Local Election Committee

A.                The nomination and election of Local Officers and Chief Stewards, shall

Be conducted under the supervision of the Election Committee.  This committee shall have the authority and responsibility to see that nominations and elections are conducted in accordance with the Union Constitution and these Bylaws with reasonable opportunity for each member to nominate and vote for the candidate of their choice.

B.                 The Election Committee shall also conduct any referenda submitted to/by

the membership.  The Election Committee shall preserve the ballots and all other election records for one (1) year.

C.                A member shall not be permitted to serve on the Election committee if that

member is a candidate for any office of the Local.

D.                All questions concerning the conduct and challenges of elections shall be

determined by the Election Committee, subject to the right of appeal to the Executive Board or membership of the Local.

Section 4 – General Provisions

A.                The nominees in any election receiving the majority of the votes shall be

declared elected.  If no one nominee has a majority on the first ballot, the

vote shall be taken again and the two (2) nominees having the greatest number of votes on the first ballot shall be nominees on the second ballot.

B.                 Only members of the Local in good standing shall be eligible to vote or

hold office.

C.                No elected office of the Local shall be qualified to take office unless and

until he or she has executed all compliance forms necessary to permit the Local and the Union to exercise its full rights under State and Federal Laws.

D.                Any member, in good standing of the Local shall be eligible to hold any

elective office, provided that he or she shall have been a member of the Local for one (1) year or more.

E.                 The term of office shall be for three (3) years.

F.         The officers and chief stewards shall take office on December 31^st for a

period of three (3) years effective 1972.

F.                 The order of nominations and election of Local officers and Chief

Stewards if conducted in a Local meeting shall be as follows:

(1)               Local President

(2)               Vice President Southwestern Bell

(3)               Vice President Cingular

(4)               Local Secretary

(5)               Local Treasurer

(6)               Chief Stewards

Section 5 – Vacancies

A.                In the event of a vacancy in the office of Local President, the Executive

Board shall appoint either the Vice President Southwestern Bell, or the Vice President Cingular to immediately assume the office.

B.                 In the event of a vacancy in any other elected office, the Executive

Board of the Local shall appoint someone to fill the vacancy, subject to the approval of the membership within sixty (60) days.

ARTICLE XV

CHARGES, TRIALS, AND APPEALS

Section 1 – Charges

Members of this Local may be fined, suspended or expelled, in the manner

provided in the Bylaws, for any of the acts enumerated in Article XIX of the

Union Constitution.

Section 2 – Trials

Any accused member, including Officers of this Local shall be tried under the

provisions of Article XXI of the Union Constitution.

Section 3 – Appeals

A member of officer of this Local, upon being found guilty by a Local trial court,

may appeal as provided in Article XXI of the Union Constitution.

Section 4 -  Local Trial Court

A trial court of this Local shall be composed of six (6) persons who are members

of  this Local and parties to the proceedings, and who shall be selected by the

members in a membership meeting of the Local.

ARTICLE XVI

AMENDMENTS TO LOCAL BYLAWS

All proposed amendments shall be submitted in written form.  These Bylaws may be amended by either of the following methods:

A.                majority vote of the members present in a Local meeting if the proposed

amendment has been introduced at a previous membership meeting or has been advertised to the membership by use of bulletin boards or U.S.Mail postage prepaid at least seven (7) days in advance of the meeting; or

B.                 Referendum of the membership.

ARTICLE XVII

REFERENDUM OF THE LOCAL

A.            The Local Election Committee shall submit any question to a referendum of the

Membership when directed to do so by action of a regular or special meeting.

B.             Questions submitted to referendum shall be determined by a majority vote of those voting

on the question.

ARTICLE XVIII

FISCAL YEAR AND AUDIT

A.     The fiscal year of this Local shall be from October 1^st of each year to and

including September 30^th of the succeeding year.

B.     The financial records of this Local shall be audited by a Certified Public

Accountant, and by a committee selected by the Local, at the end of each fiscal

year.  The results of such audit shall be made available for the inspection of any

member of the Local.

ARTICLE XIX

Each elected officer of the Local, after meeting all other qualifications, shall be duly installed upon taking the following oath:

“I (name) hereby accept the office of (name of office) of Local 6200,

Communications Workers of America, with full knowledge of the responsibilities and duties of such office.  I promise to faithfully discharge my duties according to the Bylaws and rules of the Local and the Constitution and policies of the Union.  I further promise to give my successor in office all books and records in my possession.  I shall at all times endeavor to serve my Local and the Union to the best of my ability, so help me God.”

ARTICLE XX

EXPENSES

Section 1

A.                This Local shall reimburse reasonable and customary expenses incurred

By the member while conducting Union business.

B.                 Reasonable and customary expenses shall be determined by the Executive

Board.

ARTICLE XXI

ADOPTION

These Bylaws shall be adopted upon approval of a majority of the members voting upon their adoption in the membership meeting called for that purpose.

REVISED OCTOBER 2002

By:   Karen Cook and Cheryl Dawson