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Section 1
The convention shall be the supreme governing body of the Federation and, except as otherwise provided in this Constitution, its decisions shall be by a majority vote.
Section 2
The regular conventions of the Federation shall be held every four years at a time during the last six months of the year. The time and the place for holding the regular conventions shall be designated by the Executive Council, which shall give at least 90 days’ notice of the time and place designated.
Section 3
(a)
Special conventions may be called by direction of a regular convention, by order of the Executive Council, or on request of national and international unions representing a majority of the total membership of the Federation, as calculated for purposes of representation at the previous convention.
(b) In the event a special convention has been called all affiliated organizations shall be given at least 30 days’ notice, together with a statement of the particular subjects to be considered at such convention.
(c) Representation at special conventions shall be on the same basis and subject to like qualifications and procedure governing regular conventions.
(d) A special convention shall be clothed with like authority and power conferred upon regular conventions, its decisions shall be equally binding and it shall be governed by the same procedure applicable to regular conventions; however, such special conventions shall be limited solely to the subjects specifically and definitely indicated in the call for such special convention.
Section 4
(a)
Each national or international union and organizing committee shall be entitled to the number of delegates indicated in the following scale:
Zero to 4,000 members 1 delegate
Over 4,000 members 2 delegates
Over 8,000 members 3 delegates
Over 12,000 members 4 delegates
Over 25,000 members 5 delegates
Over 50,000 members 6 delegates
Over 75,000 members 7 delegates
Over 125,000 members 8 delegates
Over 175,000 members 9 delegates
plus one additional delegate for each 75,000 members over 175,000. Each national or international union and organizing committee delegation shall generally reflect the racial and gender diversity of its membership.
(b) Each directly affiliated local union and each trade and industrial department shall be entitled to one delegate. Each state, area or local central body shall be entitled to one delegate. Directly affiliated local unions, with the approval of the President, may combine with other such unions within a reasonable distance to elect a single delegate to represent such unions.
Section 5
Each national or international union, organizing committee, directly affiliated local union, state, area or local central body and trade and industrial department shall be entitled to alternate delegates. Such alternate delegates shall meet the same eligibility requirements as apply to delegates, and they shall be elected or otherwise designated, and their names submitted to the Secretary-Treasurer, by the same dates as for delegates. An alternate delegate shall have no voice, vote or other standing at any convention unless and until he or she replaces a delegate.
Section 6
Delegates to a regular convention shall be elected or otherwise designated by the affiliate at least 30 days prior to the convention, except in cases in which the convention of the affiliate meets within this 30-day period. The names of the delegates shall be submitted to the Secretary-Treasurer immediately after their selection, and in no event later than 20 days prior to the convention.
Section 7
No affiliate that, at the opening date of the convention, is in arrears to the Federation for per capita tax or assessments for two months or more shall be entitled to recognition or representation in the convention.
Section 8
No organization shall be entitled to representation unless such organization has applied for and obtained a certificate of affiliation at least 30 days prior to the convention, and no person shall be recognized as a delegate who is not a member in good standing of the organization he or she is selected to represent.
Section 9
(a)
The number of members of each national and international union and organizing committee for the purpose of selecting delegates and for roll call votes, and the number of members of each directly affiliated local union for roll call votes, at the convention shall be the average monthly number on which per capita tax is paid for the 24-month period ending with the last calendar month occurring before the 90th day preceding the opening date of the convention.
(b) Where, during that 24-month period, two affiliates have merged, the per capita payments made by the two affiliates prior to the merger shall be used in making the calculation called for by the prior sentence.
(c) Except as otherwise provided herein, where affiliation has occurred during the 24-month period, the average shall be computed from the month of affiliation, and the number of members shall be deemed to be one twenty-fourth of such average multiplied by the number of months for which per capita tax has been paid.
(d) Where affiliation has occurred during the 24-month period, where, prior to affiliation, the newly chartered affiliate was a component part of another affiliate, and unless the affected affiliates agree to a different division, for the period prior to the division of the pre-existing affiliate each of the affiliates in question shall be credited with the average monthly number of members on which the pre-existing affiliate paid per capita tax multiplied by a fraction whose numerator is the number of members on which the affiliate paid per capita tax during the first month after the pre-existing affiliate divided, and whose denominator is the total number of members on which both affiliates pay per capita tax during the first month after the division.
(e) The Secretary-Treasurer shall prepare for the use of the convention and submit to it a printed list showing the number of votes and the number of delegates to which each affiliate is entitled.
Section 10
The President shall appoint, in consultation with the Executive Council, prior to the convention, such committees as are necessary to conduct the affairs of the convention. Such committees may meet before the convention and shall proceed to consider all resolutions, constitutional amendments, appeals, petitions, reports and memorials submitted to the convention, and shall report on them to the convention.
Section 11
(a)
All resolutions, constitutional amendments, appeals, petitions, reports and memorials must be received by the Secretary-Treasurer 30 days prior to the convention; except in instances where proposals have been approved at a regular convention of a national or international union, state central body or national trade and industrial department held during this 30-day period, or where the matters appealed from have occurred during this 30-day period, in which event such proposals or appeals shall be received up to the day before the convention.
(b) All resolutions, constitutional amendments, appeals, petitions, reports and memorials received after the times stipulated in subsection (a) above or during the convention shall be referred to the convention, which shall consider them only upon unanimous consent.
(c) All resolutions, constitutional amendments, appeals, petitions, reports and memorials submitted by directly affiliated local unions shall be referred to the Executive Council. The Executive Council shall advise the convention of its disposition of such proposals.
(d) All resolutions, constitutional amendments, appeals, petitions, reports and memorials submitted by a state central body must first be approved at its previous convention or at a meeting of its executive board.
(e) All resolutions, constitutional amendments, appeals, petitions, reports and memorials submitted by an area or local central body must first be approved at its regularly constituted delegate meeting.
(f) The President shall classify each timely received resolution, constitutional amendment, appeal, petition, report and memorial as to its nature, contents and subject matter, and he or she shall refer it to an appropriate committee. The committee shall report on the proposal to the convention prior to the convention’s consideration of it.
(g) The President shall distribute copies of all timely received resolutions, constitutional amendments, appeals, petitions, reports and memorials to the delegates at the opening session of the convention or as soon afterward as is practical, but before the convention considers them.
(h) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b), the Executive Council may present resolutions, constitutional amendments, appeals, petitions, reports and memorials to the convention at any time without requiring unanimous consent.
Section 12
Not less than 60 days prior to each regular convention, the Secretary-Treasurer shall notify each affiliate of its delegate allotment. Each affiliate shall designate and certify its delegates as required by the Secretary-Treasurer. Subject to Section 6 of this Article, no designation or certification of delegates shall be accepted later than 20 days prior to the convention except for good cause.
Section 13
Prior to the convention, the Executive Council shall meet and constitute itself or a subcommittee as the Credentials Committee for the convention. Appeals from its decisions may be made to the floor of the convention. The convention shall not be constituted for business until after the Credentials Committee shall have examined and reported on credentials of all delegates present at the scheduled time at the opening session of the convention.
Section 14
All members of the Executive Council who are not elected as delegates shall be ex-officio delegates to the convention with all the rights and privileges of elected delegates, but without vote.
Section 15
Fraternal delegates shall be entitled to all the rights of delegates but shall not be entitled to vote.
Section 16
At the opening of the convention the President shall take the chair and call the convention to order, and preside during its sessions.
Section 17
One-fourth of the delegates seated at the convention shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business.
Section 18
Questions may be decided by voice vote, rising vote, counted rising vote, or, upon the request of 30 percent of the delegates present, by a roll call vote. Upon such roll call each delegate representing affiliated national or international unions, organizing committees and directly affiliated local unions shall be entitled to cast one vote for every member whom the delegate represents. Each state, area and local central body and trade and industrial department shall be entitled to one vote.
Section 19
The rules and order of business governing the preceding convention shall be enforced from the opening of the convention until new rules have been adopted by action of the convention.
Section 20
Unless otherwise specified, any action taken by the convention shall take effect immediately upon adoption.
