Making Union Meetings Work
“What can labor do for itself? Labor can organize, it can unify, it can consolidate its forces. This done, it can demand and command.”
—Eugene V. Debs, president, American Railway Union
The local membership meeting is the heart of a democratic union. The meeting should be planned to capture the interest of members. The primary purpose of local membership meetingsand executive board meetings is to conduct the business of the union. It is here that members determine the activities and programs of the local. A membership meeting should be a place where:
- Local officers inform the membership — and learn from the membership — about what is happening, what might be happening, why it is happening and the impact on members
- Members discuss issues and problems, make decisions on how to address those issues, and set the local’s direction and goals
- Unity and solidarity begin through members getting to know one another
Planning and Preparing for Successful Meetings
Carefully plan and organize the meeting, ahead of time:
- Develop the agenda — focus on issues that members care about
- Plan an activity or invite a guest speaker that appeals to the interest of members
- Line up committee reports, officer reports, staff reports, etc.
- Decide where and when the meeting will be — select a day of the week, time and location that is most convenient for the majority of members to attend
- Be sure the meeting room is comfortable and accessible
- Distribute the meeting notice to all members well in advance. The meeting notice should include the agenda and a theme for the activity or guest speaker, for example, Pizza and Politics • In addition to written notice — leaflets, newsletters, bulletin boards, etc., — use a MAT system (see Section 3) to contact members one-on-one
- Be thoroughly prepared to conduct the meeting smoothly and efficiently so that it starts on time and ends on time
- Arrange for any refreshments
Sample Local Meeting Agenda
- Call to Order and Roll Call of Officers
President calls the meeting to order; recording secretary calls the roll of officers and notes in the minutes who is present and who is absent. - Approval of Last Meeting’s Minutes
Recording secretary reads the minutes from the previous meeting; president asks if there are any corrections. If there are no corrections, the minutes stand approved as read; if there are corrections, the president asks for unanimous consent to the additions or corrections. (Note: Written copies of the minutes should be available for meeting participants. See Appendix B: Sample Local Meeting Minutes, page 48.) - Reading of Correspondence
President asks the recording secretary to read any correspondence requiring action by the membership. These letters should be discussed by the executive board prior to the membership meeting and any recommendations of the board should be read along with the letter. The president then asks for a motion to accept the board’s recommendation. (Note: The recording secretary should summarize any long or unimportant letters.) - Good and Welfare
Traditionally, this part of the meeting is the last item prior to adjournment. As a variation to keep the meeting exciting, schedule this portion toward the beginning of the meeting, rather than at the end of the meeting. This part of the meeting can be used for a planned activity, guest speaker, group discussion about issues affecting members, acknowledgment of achievement, announcement of birthdays, update on a member who is ill, etc. - Reports of Officers
President’s Report: This report includes actions taken by the executive board at its last meeting and information on any issues facing the local and what direction or actions the local might take. The report may be followed by a request to accept the report of the executive board.
Secretary-Treasurer’s Report: The report should be copied and distributed at the meeting. (See Appendix A for a sample report, page 47.) The secretary-treasurer summarizes the information in the report. The president asks if there are any questions or objections. If not, the report can stand as read. If an objection is raised, a motion of approval is required. - Reports of Staff and Committees
Staff Report: This report may include such information as an update on grievances, progress in contract negotiations, council activities or other information of interest to the membership.
Committee Reports: This report should be made only when there is something worthwhile to report. The president calls on a committee chair to give the report. At the end of each report — if the committee report contains recommendations that call for membership action — the president asks for a motion to approve the report. - Unfinished Business
This includes any items left over or referred from a previous meeting — which require action by the membership. The president may ask for a motion to deal with any specific item of unfinished business. - New Business
This includes items that were not necessarily on the agenda (they may arise from a committee report or correspondence). The president may ask for a motion to deal with a specific item of new business. - Adjournment
When the business of the meeting is finished and if no one makes a motion to adjourn, the president can ask for one.
A Procedure for Successful Meetings: Robert’s Rules of Order
A key element of effective meetings is the orderly conduct of business. For the purpose of conducting business, maintaining order and ensuring fairness to all participants, AFSCME has determined that Robert’s Rules of Order will be used to govern the local union meeting. (See the Constitution for Local Unions in Appendix C of the International Constitution.) The four cornerstones of Robert’s Rules are:
- Only one subject comes before the meeting at a time
- Each topic is freely debated with meaningful, informed discussion
- Every member has the right to be heard; every member has rights and responsibilities equal to those of every other member
- In making decisions, the majority rules — always
Basic Elements of Robert’s Rules
- A motion — calling for the local to take some course of action — is made; sometimes the chair may call for a motion (“Do I hear a motion to …?”)
- The chair asks for a second — for a motion to be discussed, it must be seconded
- The chair states the motion and calls for discussion (“It has been moved and seconded that …. Is there any discussion?”)
- When recognized by the chair, meeting participants may speak to (discuss) the motion on the floor
- On occasion, during discussion, an amendment to a motion may be offered from the floor; this, too, requires a second before the chair calls for discussion (“An amendment has been made and seconded that …. Is there any discussion on the amendment?”)
- When discussion has run its course or has been ended by vote of meeting participants, the chair conducts a vote (“All those in favor say ‘aye.’ All those opposed say ‘no’”)
- If there is an amendment being discussed — the amendment is voted on first, then the motion as amended if the amendment carries
- Sometimes a member may raise a procedural “point”:
— On a point of order (example: “The discussion has gotten off the topic of the motion on the floor”), the chair makes a ruling (“Your point is well taken, and I remind members to speak to the issue on the floor.”)
— On a point of information or point of clarification, the chair can offer clarifying information before discussion continues (“What this would mean is ….”)
For more details on conducting a meeting, see Key Parliamentary Rules in Appendix D of the AFSCME International Constitution and the AFSCME publication How to Chair a Meeting/How to Take Part in a Meeting. Also see Appendix D of this handbook for information on two resources: Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, and Parliamentary Procedure and Effective Meetings.