BE IT RESOLVED:

That the International Union Constitution, Article V, Section 10, is amended to read as follows:

Section 10. The International President, with the advice and consent of the International Executive Board, may initiate, edit and manage a publication which may be in print or digital format, and which shall be the official publication of the Federation. Title of any such publication shall be vested in the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees. A copy of the official publication shall be furnished made available to each member, electronically or otherwise.

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED:

That the International Union Constitution Article IV, Section 29, is amended to read as follows:

Section 29. Each month, the International Secretary-Treasurer shall certify, for the six-month period ending with the second full month preceding the month in which the certification is made, (1) the average total number of members of all local unions in the Federation, and (2) the average total number of members in all local unions in each of the several Legislative Districts, and such certifications shall be reported to the International Executive Board as part of the International Secretary-Treasurer’s regular, periodic reports to the International Executive Board. If such certification shows that any Legislative District which had, at the previous International Convention at which regular elections were held, elected only one International Vice President contains local unions having a total membership in excess of five percent but less than fifteen percent of the total membership of all local unions in the International Union, or that any Legislative District which had, at the previous International Convention at which regular elections were held, elected fewer than three International Vice Presidents contains local unions having a total membership in excess of fifteen percent of the total membership of all local unions in the International Union, announcement of the fact shall be made in the official publication of the Federation on the International Union’s website or electronically. In such a case, an additional International Vice President shall be elected from such Legislative District in accordance with the procedure for filling vacancies in the office of the International Vice President as specified in Article VIII, Section 11 of this Constitution, and the term of such International Vice President shall end upon the installation of the officers elected at the next International Convention at which regular elections are held; provided that no election shall be held if a regular International Convention is scheduled to be held within 180 days after the issuance of the certification that would otherwise require the holding of an election, and the additional International Vice President shall be elected at that Convention for a term expiring upon the installation of the officers elected at the next regular Convention at which elections are scheduled. If the certification reported to the International Executive Board in December of a year which immediately precedes an International Convention at which elections are scheduled shows that any Legislative District contains local unions having a total membership of less than one percent of the total membership of all local unions in the International Union, then upon receipt of such certification, the International Executive Board shall establish a hearing committee consisting of three members of the International Executive Board, and announcement of that fact shall be made in the official publication of the Federation on the International Union’s website or electronically.

BE IT FINALLY RESOLVED:

That the International Union Constitution Article IX, Section 14, is amended to read as follows:

Section 14. Any member, except those who are members pursuant to a union shop or similar provision, who objects to the expenditure of any portion of dues for partisan political or ideological purposes shall have the right to dissent from such expenditures. The amount of the Union’s expenditures for such purposes shall be determined annually in the following manner. For the International Union, the International Secretary-Treasurer shall by April 1 each year ascertain the total expenditures of the described kind during the preceding fiscal year, and shall determine therefrom mathematically the portion of per capita payment or its equivalent which is subject to rebate. For each council and local union which has made expenditures of the described kind, its chief fiscal officer shall make like calculations by April 1 or, if some other date is more appropriate to the council or local fiscal year, then by such other date. An objector shall file written notice of an objection by registered or certified mail with both the International Secretary-Treasurer and the appropriate subordinate body between April 1 and April 16 of each year, stating those subordinate bodies to which dues payments have been made. An objection may be renewed from year to year by written notification by registered or certified mail to the International Secretary-Treasurer during the stated period each year. Each year, during February, the International Union shall set forth in its regular publication a description of this system including the dates within which notice of objection must be filed. An application for partisan political or ideological rebate shall be forwarded to the objector to be completed and returned in accordance with procedures that shall be established by the International President, subject to the approval of the International Executive Board. Such application shall require the objector to identify the partisan political or ideological activities to which objection is being made.

The International Secretary-Treasurer shall transmit each approved application to the chief fiscal officer of each subordinate body that received a portion of the objector’s dues. Each subordinate body and the International Union shall provide a rebate to each objector who has filed a timely objection and an approved application for a rebate; provided that such rebate may be limited to the objector’s pro rata share of those partisan political and ideological activities of the Union that have been identified in the application filed by the objector.

If an objector is dissatisfied with the proportional allocation that has been established on the ground that assertedly it does not accurately reflect the expenditures of the International Union or subordinate body in the defined areas, an appeal may be taken to the Judicial Panel. Any such appeal must be filed in writing within fifteen days of receipt of the rebate check from which appeal is made. If an appeal has been timely filed, the Judicial Panel shall schedule a hearing under the rules of procedure of the Judicial Panel. The decision of the Judicial Panel on such appeal shall be issued within a reasonable time. If an objector is dissatisfied with the decision of the Judicial Panel, a further and final appeal may be taken to the next International Convention.

SUBMITTED BY: International Executive Board