2006 ITPE-OPEIU Convention

ITPE-OPEIU Local 4873 Delegates and many Shop Stewards gathered in Savannah, Georgia during March 27-28 for a well attended and highly successful 2006 ITPE Convention.

The two days were packed with interesting guest speakers and workshops that provided substantive information representing business, contracting, labor, government and Congressional interests.

Delegates passed 15 Resolutions which should help guide the Union for the next four years and amended the ITPE Constitution in ways that should make our Union more efficient while further promoting membership participation in its governance.

The resolutions passed at the convention are listed below by Title and can be assessed individually as PDF's by clicking where the words are blue. The Constitutional Amendments will appear in a future edition of the ITPE newsletter. However, a broad summary is being presented here for your information.

The newsletter will also contain a more detailed package regarding other actions taken at the Convention and copies of all resolutions passed. The newsletter will be distributed by our Shop Stewards, and mailed to anyone requesting a copy.

Trusting our Convention has empowered you, the membership, to be more proactive in all Union activities. Your interest and action maintains a solid foundation which becomes a platform to build a better tomorrow for all America.

To help keep our members informed, to follow are resolutions passed during the convention.

Resolution No. 1 - Minimum Wage
Resolution No. 2 - Expanding Media Opportunities
Resolution No. 3 - Contracting Out
Resolution No. 4 - Voter Registration
Resolution No. 5 - Employee Free Choice Act
Resolution No. 6 - Las Vegas Taxi Industry
Resolution No. 7 - Airline Pension Reform
Resolution No. 8 - Due Process
Resolution No. 9 - Health Care
Resolution No. 10 - Contractor/Employer Payment Bond
Resolution No. 11 - Retirement Instability
Resolution No. 12 - Verizon Wireless
Resolution No. 13 - Paper Back-Up For Electronic Voting Systems
Resolution No. 14 - Regulation Enforcement
Resolution No. 15 - Supporting Candidates Who Stand for the Values of Working Families

ITPE Constitutional Amendments from the Recent Constitutional Convention

Most of the Constitutional changes involve a plan to streamline the day-to-day structure of the ITPE while increasing the number of members on the body which governs this Union between Conventions. Currently, the officers are the President, the Secretary-Treasurer and three (3) Vice Presidents. These five officers constitute the Union Council which administers the Union between Conventions. The proposed change would reduce the number of Vice Presidents to one, would assign the Secretary-Treasurer the specific duties to oversee the ITPE Representatives and to be in charge of contract enforcement and would assign the Vice President to oversee the ITPE's organizing efforts. Responsibility for contract enforcement has, accordingly, been removed from among the President's duties; and the proposed Constitution makes explicit that the President chairs the ITPE Convention, as is implicit in the title.

The decision-making body between Conventions would be re-named the Executive Board and would consist of the three (3) officers and four (4) Executive Board Members At Large. The basic duties of the Executive Board Members At Large will be to attend the Executive Board meetings, keep up with developments between meetings and help make the determinations at those meetings which will guide our Union to a more robust future. There are language changes throughout the proposed ITPE Constitution to reflect this change in the name of that governing body from the Union Council to the Executive Board, as well as the number of Vice Presidents.

The OPEIU National Constitution limits the number of Delegates per Local to no more than five. As you will see, the proposed Executive Board will have seven (7) members. Rather than create any dispute by ranking the Executive Board Members At Large, the proposal would just have the three (3) officers as Delegates to the National Convention. It is anticipated that the Executive Board Members At Large would attend the National Conventions as guests of the ITPE.

Another change suggested in the enclosed proposal would increase the number of Delegates to the ITPE Convention from 25 to 30 (in addition to the three officers and four Executive Board Members At Large, all of whom would be Delegates by reason of their elected positions). It would also increase the quorum requirement from 10 to 20 and make it explicit that the ex officio Delegates count toward that quorum.

It is proposed to simplify the Constitutional provision regarding the dues amount by deleting the past history of increases and simply stating that the current dues rate is, normally, $25 per member per month (while continuing the provisions which permit higher or lower rates in certain circumstances). See Article XIV, Section 2.

It is suggested in Article X, Section 3, to require 100 members, rather than just 25, to nominate anyone who wanted to run to be a Union officer or ITPE Convention Delegate. Given the growth of the ITPE, this should not be a burden for anyone who seeks to make decisions for this organization and would demonstrate a slightly broader base of support.

The other changes are intended either to correct errors in existing language or to simplify the language or procedures in the ITPE Constitution.

An informed membership makes a better membership.
"See you on the Hill"

John Conley, ITPE President
John Brenton III, Secretary-Treasurer

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