Section 1
Central bodies subordinate to the Federation may be chartered upon a city, state or other regional basis as may be deemed advisable by the Executive Council and shall be composed exclusively of locals of national and international unions and organizing committees, affiliated with the Federation, directly affiliated local unions, local central bodies within the geographical limits of state and regional bodies, and such other subordinate bodies, constituent entities and allied retiree organizations as the Executive Council may determine are eligible for affiliation or other participation. The Executive Council shall also issue rules governing the creation and merger of central labor bodies.

Section 2
(a) It shall be the duty of all national and international unions and organizing committees to instruct their local unions to join affiliated central labor bodies in their vicinity where such exist. Similar instructions shall be given by the Federation to all local unions affiliated directly to it.

(b) A national or international union may affiliate its entire membership with the appropriate state central bodies by paying to the AFL-CIO monthly a state central body national affiliation fee equal to 75 percent of the per capita tax charged by the various state bodies weighted to reflect the distribution of the union’s membership among the states. Beginning in January 2010, the national affiliation fee will be 80 percent, and the Executive Council is authorized to adopt future increases in the fee as circumstances warrant. If a union elects to pay this national affiliation fee, each local of that union (or other eligible subordinate body as determined by the Executive Council) will be entitled to membership in the appropriate state central body, and each of those locals will be entitled to full voting strength in its state central body. The national affiliation fees received by the AFL-CIO will be rebated to the state central bodies on the basis of their membership, per capita tax rates, and needs. The Executive Council shall establish procedures for calculating the amount of the fee due from any union electing to pay the national affiliation fee, for determining the voting strength of the union’s locals within the various state central bodies, and shall take such other steps as are necessary to implement this section.

(c) The Executive Council is authorized to establish such programs, rules and procedures as it deems necessary or advisable to implement the Federation’s policy of full participation and fair affiliation of local unions to central labor bodies and to achieve broad support for these organizations from local unions within their jurisdiction. The Executive Council is authorized to establish a minimum floor for affiliation with state federations by national union affiliates and a program for achieving at least this minimum, including an assessment on affiliates whose affiliation falls below the minimum floor. The Council is similarly authorized to establish a separate minimum floor, program and assessment for affiliation with area or central labor councils by national union affiliates. The Executive Council is further authorized to establish such programs, rules and procedures as it deems necessary or advisable to ensure effective performance by central labor bodies and coordination and integration of central labor body activities with each other and with the programs and priorities of the AFL-CIO and affiliated national and international unions. The Executive Council is further authorized to modify or phase out the program contained in Section 2(b) of this Article as part of any program, rule or procedure adopted under this Section.

Section 3
The Executive Council shall issue rules governing the conduct, activities, affairs, finances and property of state, area and local central labor bodies and providing procedures for the discipline, including suspension, trusteeship and expulsion of such bodies or suspension or expulsion of their officers. Such rules shall define the powers of the President, or his or her designee, with respect to disciplinary action against state, area and local central labor bodies and their officers. They shall provide for notice and hearing in all cases in which such action is taken, but shall permit emergency action (including the authority to suspend ­officers and establish a trusteeship over such central labor bodies and their property) prior to hearing where in the opinion of the President the interests of the Federation so require. The rules shall further provide for appeals to the Appeals Committee of the Executive Council, and shall also provide that decisions appealed from shall remain in full force and effect pending such appeal.

Section 4
Upon the dissolution, suspension or revocation of the charter or trusteeship over any state, area or local central body, all funds and property of any character shall revert to the Federation, which to the extent appropriate shall hold such funds and property in trust until such time that the organization may be reorganized and conform with the Constitution and laws of the Federation. It shall be the duty of the officers of a state, area or local central body that has been dissolved or whose charter has been suspended or revoked, or that has been placed under trusteeship, to deliver all funds and property to the President or his or her designated representative. In the event of a failure or refusal to so deliver such funds and property, all expenses incurred by the Federation in recovering such funds and property shall be reimbursed to the Federation from the funds and property recovered.

Section 5
The President shall establish an advisory committee comprised of representatives of state central bodies and an advisory committee comprised of representatives of area and local central bodies, which shall meet upon the call of the President at least twice each year at a time and place designated by the President.