​

Constitution & Bylaws

(Amended May 2, 2019)

 

Download PDF Version

 

Table of Contents

​

​

​

ARTICLE I: Name

This local shall be known as the Coast Federation of Classified Employees/American Federation of Teachers Local 4794.

​

ARTICLE II: Objectives

The purpose of this local shall be:

Section 1. To secure full union trade rights for all employees who are eligible for membership.

Section 2. To advance the economic, social, and political well being of the membership at the local, state and national level.

Section 3. To represent classified staff in the Coast District on all issues affecting their employment at the local, state and national level.

Section 4. To encourage mutual understanding and cooperation among the membership and between the membership, faculty and administrators of the Coast District.

Section 5. To promote the interests of the community and students who are served by the membership.

Section 6. To promote democracy and equality in the Coast District and the community it serves.

Section 7. To promote shared governance in the Coast District for all employees who are eligible for membership.

Section 8. To promote the interests of and educate the retired classified staff of the Coast District on issues affecting their pensions.

​

ARTICLE III: Membership

Section 1. All classified employees in the Coast Community College District are eligible for membership except those designated as management, supervisory and confidential.

Section 2. Retired membership shall be open to all retired employees of the Coast Community College District who have held active membership in the Coast Federation of Classified Employees prior to retirement.

A. A retiree chapter shall be established with the Coast Federation of Classified Employees for the purposes of:

1. Maintaining the ties of professional unity between working members and retirees;

2. Representing and promoting the interests of retired members, its affiliates, the labor movement and the community; and

3. Providing a forum for exchanging information of interest and benefit to retired members and for the expression of their views.

B. All members of the retiree chapter should hold simultaneous membership in the state and national affiliate as a retiree.

C. The retiree chapter shall establish bylaws that delineate membership, officers, committees and their responsibilities.

The retiree chapter president or a designee shall serve as a member of the Executive Council of the Coast Federation of Classified Employees and may have voting privileges on all matters except contractual considerations and issues of working conditions.

Section 3. No person shall be denied membership on the basis of sex, race, national origin, religious or political belief, or social status.

​

ARTICLE IV: Definitions

Section 1. Any eligible classified employee of the Coast District who joins the local is a member as soon as the enrollment form is submitted to an Executive Council member  of the local, and will remain a member of the local until the Union Office is notified, in writing, by the employee, between June 1 and June 30 of each year, of their intent to resign.

Section 2. A member in good standing is any eligible classified employee of the Coast District who joins the local and has paid dues either through payroll deduction, check, money order, or cash.

​

ARTICLE V: Voting Privileges

To be eligible to vote, an employee must be a member in good standing ten (10) working days prior to an election or ratification vote to ensure an accurate membership list at the polls.

​

ARTICLE VI: Contract Negotiated Committees

To be eligible to serve as a classified committee member on any campus/district/DIS or district wide contract negotiated committee, a classified employee must be a member in good standing.

​

ARTICLE VII: Membership Meetings

Section 1. The Executive Council shall determine the time and place, and give at least thirty (30) days notice of the annual membership meeting.

Section 2. Special meetings of the membership may be called by:

a. the Executive Council,
b. the Area Rep Council,
c. a petition of twenty-five percent (25%) of the members.

Section 3. The membership meeting shall be the supreme policy making body of the local.  A quorum shall be required for any membership meeting at which any question is put to a vote of those present.  A quorum shall be seventy-five (75) members or twenty percent (20%) of the total number of members in-good-standing, whichever is least.

Section 4. The membership meeting shall have the right to initiate referenda, which shall be conducted by the ad hoc Elections Committee.

​

ARTICLE VIII: Election of Officers

Section 1. Commencing in 1993 and every two (2) years thereafter, the members shall elect the following officers no later than April 30th of that election year,

a. President (100% released time)

b. Secretary/Treasurer

c. Vice President, OCC (elected by OCC campus members only)

d. Vice President, GWC (elected by GWC campus members only)

e. Vice President, CCC (elected by CCC campus members only)

f. Vice President, District/DIS (elected by District/DIS campus members only)

g. Vice President, At-Large (elected by members of their respective campuses)

All officers are at large excluding c thru g.

Section 2. To be eligible for office in Section 1a through Section 1f, a person must be a member in good standing of the local for a period of one (1) year prior to the date of the election.  To be eligible for office in Section 1g a person must be a member in good standing of the local for a period of six (6) months prior to the date of the election.n.

Section 3. Vice Presidents, At-Large are elected by the general membership.  The number of Vice Presidents, At-Large are determined by the number of union members at each site (OCC, GWC, CCC and District).  Each site is guaranteed a minimum of one (1) Vice President, At-Large.  Each site shall have one Vice President, At-large for each twenty-five (25) union  members, or any portion thereof, at that site.  Fore example, if a site has 100 union members, then that site would have four (4) Vice Presidents, At-Large.  If a site had 88 union members, then that site would have four (4) Vice Presidents, At-large.  The number of Vice Presidents, At-Large shall be determined by how many CFCE union members are in good standing fifteen (15) days prior to the election.  If there are more candidates that Vice Presidents, At-Large positions available, then the candidates with the highest vote totals shall prevail.

Section 4. An ad hoc Elections Committee shall conduct all general and special elections of the local.

Section 5. At least forty-five (45) days prior to the date of the election, the ad hoc Elections Committee shall notify all members of the opening of nominations for office.

Section 6. A candidate must submit in writing to the ad hoc Elections Committee a statement as to why he/she wishes to run for office.

Section 7. The ad hoc Elections Committee shall prepare and send notification of candidates running for CFCE officers, polling locations, times to cast ballot, and information to absentee vote no later than fifteen (15) days following the close of nominations.

Section 8. A majority of the ballots received shall determine the election.  In the absence of a majority vote, the ad hoc Elections Committee shall conduct a run-off election among the two candidates who have received the most votes for the office in question using the procedure specified in Section 7 above.

Section 9. All newly elected officers shall become non-voting members of the Executive Council until they are eligible to take office.

Section 10. Successful candidates shall assume office the first day of July following the election.

Section 11. In case of a resignation or removal of office by the Executive Council, all vacancies (with the exception of the President), shall be filled by a majority vote of the Executive Council.

Section 12. A petition signed by thirty percent (30%) of the membership, whichever is smaller, and stating just cause shall be sufficient to require the ad hoc Elections Committee to conduct a recall election of any officer specified in the petition under the procedures in Section 7 above.  If an officer is recalled, the ad hoc Elections Committee shall hold a special election under the procedures in Sections 5, 6 and 7 above.

​

ARTICLE IX: Duties of Officers

Section 1. Elected officers may be required to attend local and CFT sponsored workshops and training programs.

Section 2. Elected officers may be required to write monthly articles for the union newsletter.

Section 3. The President shall:

a. be the presiding officer at all meetings of the membership and the Executive Council,

b. be an ex-officio member of all standing committees, except the ad hoc Elections Committee,

c. be responsible for the ongoing administration of the local,

d. receive, report and respond to correspondence of the local,

e. supervise all employee(s) of the local,

f. be one of the responsible financial officers of the local, and shall be authorized to co-sign financial instruments, and make regular and usual disbursements of funds,

g. represent the local before bodies of the employer, executive and legislative officials,

h. represent the local before the public, community organizations, and the news media,

i. be, by office, a delegate to the Central Labor Council

j. be, by office, a delegate to the convention of the California Federation of Teachers, American Federation of Teachers, and meetings of its affiliated subordinate bodies.

k. make an annual report to the membership of the local,

l. oversee the work or, and receive regular reports from the Executive Council

m. oversee the work or, and receive regular reports from the Grievance Committee

n. oversee the work of, and receive and certify the reports of the ad hoc Elections Committee,

o. prepare annual budget for the local with the assistance of the Treasurer,

p. be able to delegate the responsibilities of the office, except where otherwise specified by the constitution.

Section 4. The Executive Vice President, appointed by the Executive Council shall:

a. assume the duties of the President in the event of the absence, resignation, illness, or death of the President, until a new president can be elected by the membership,

b. assist the campus and District/DIS Vice Presidents with the Area Rep Councils, upon request,

c. co-sign financial instruments in the absence of the President or Treasurer,

d. perform other duties as delegated by the President, or assigned by the Executive Council.

Section 5. The Secretary shall:

a. maintain the files and records of the local, to include the membership database.

b. record and keep accurate minutes of meetings of the membership and Executive Council, and record excused and unexcused absences,

c. assist the President in handling the correspondence of the local,

d. make available copies of the Constitution and Bylaws, upon request,

e. be the custodian of the seal and charter of the local,

f. perform other duties as delegated by the President, or assigned by the Executive Council.

Section 6. The Treasurer shall:

a. receive, record, and deposit all dues, monies and other income in the name of the local,

b. be one of the responsible financial officers of the local, and be authorized to co-sign financial instruments, and make regular and usual disbursements of funds,

c. bi-annually arrange for an independent audit of the financials of the local, and make the findings and report available to the American Federation of Teachers, California Federation of Teachers, Executive Council, Area Rep Council and membership,

d. transmit per capita payments on a regular basis to the Secretary-Treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers, California Federation of Teachers and similar officers of all other bodies with which the local is affiliated,

e. assist the president in preparing an annual budget to be presented for approval by the Executive Council,

f. prepare monthly budget reports to be presented for approval by the Executive Council,

g. perform other duties as delegated by the President, or assigned by the Executive Council.

Section 7. The Vice-Presidents for OCC, GWC, CCC and District/DIS shall:

a. chair and maintain campus and District/DIS Area Rep Councils (if applicable),

b. represent the local before campus administration,

c. assist campus and District/DIS employees with questions, concerns, and issues,

d. assist the Grievance Committee, upon request,

e. select campus, Dist/DIS classified committee members (with the assistance of the Area Reps, if applicable),

1. notify newly selected committee members as to the role and responsibilities of committee membership,

2. send out committee appointment letters to committee chair, supervisor of classified employee, and the employee,

f. provide and update campus, Dist/DIS committee list and classified staff serving on those committees to the Vice President of Shared Governance,

g. participate in phone banking and on-on-one membership recruitment,

h. perform other duties as delegated by the President, or assigned by the Executive Council.

Section 8. The Vice Presidents, At-Large are representative of the number of union members at each site.  Each site (OCC, GWC, CCC, and District) shall have a minimum of one Vice President, At-Large.  Each site shall have one Vice President, At-Large for every 25 union members or any portion thereof.  The following duties/committees will be assigned to Vice Presidents, At-Large by the Executive Council or President.

a. Part Time Employees:

1. specialize in the representation of part time employees,

2. coordinate and assist other council members in representing and recruitment of part time employees,

3. make reports to the Executive Council concerning the needs and attitude of part time employees,

4. assist committees as they pertain to part time employees,

5. assist campus and District/DIS part time employees with questions and concerns,

6. assist local representatives or represent when employee is part time,

7. promote involvement of part time employees by developing list of part time employees,

8. chair committee for part time employees to be more responsive to the needs of part time employees.

9. may represent the local before campus administration,

10. may assist campus/DIS employees with questions, concerns, and
    issues,

11. may assist the campus/DIS Vice Presidents, upon request,

12. participate in phone banking and one-on-one membership recruitment,

13. perform other duties as delegated by the President, or assigned by the
    Executive Council.
     

ARTICLE X: Executive Council

Section 1. The Executive Council shall meet monthly, or at the call of the President, or at the call of two (2) or more of its members.

Section 2. A quorum of the Executive Council shall consist of no less than four (4) members of the Council from Article 8, Section 1, a through f. In the event of a vacancy a quorum shall consist of fifty-one percent (51%) of the remaining Council.

Section 3. The Executive Council shall approve an annual budget in September, which shall be presented by the President and Treasurer.

Section 4. The Executive Council shall employ all professional, technical, clerical and support staff of the organization.

Section 5. The Executive Council shall establish the salary, benefits, and expense guidelines of any general officer that is employed by the local; except that no such person shall suffer loss of economic status as a result of such action.

Section 6. Consistent with the approved budget, the Executive Council shall be empowered to make contracts and incur liabilities, including the purchase of services, equipment and real property, to borrow money, to secure such obligations by mortgage or other instrument, and to otherwise engage in financial transactions to the extent permitted by applicable law of statute.

Section 7. The Executive Council shall be responsible for adherence to, and enforcement of the Constitution and Bylaws of the local.

Section 8. Code of Conduct and Ethics: As a Coast Federation of Classified Employees Executive Council member, I shall abide by the following Code of Ethics and Conduct. I shall:

a. assist in furthering the goals of the Coast Federation of Classified Employees as stated in its Constitution and Bylaws,

b. not falsely, maliciously or recklessly injure or attempt to injure, whether directly or indirectly, the professional reputation of the Executive Council and its leadership,

c. recognize and accept my personal responsibility as stated in the Constitution and Bylaws, to build and maintain a good name and reputation for the CFCE and its Executive Council,

d. protect the union’s financial, communication, historical and all other records; and will never use any of the union’s assets as a means for making private gain,

e. not abuse privileges of my office nor union resources for unauthorized purposes,

f. completely cooperate with my successor in the transfer of authority at the end of my term from my administration to that of my successor,

g. refrain from sharing information disclosed in Executive Council meetings that has been declared confidential, in the presence of non-Executive Council members,

h. not use or appear to use information discussed in the Executive Council meetings to create a negative impression of the CFCE Executive Council, its members or its leadership,

i. conduct myself in a manner that reflects accountability, dependability, integrity, trustworthiness and respect,

j. communicate in a manner consistent with my fiduciary duties under law,

k. address issues in a forthright and respectful manner,

l. abide by the principles of ethical behavior established in this statement,

m. respect and acknowledge the authority and responsibility of the elected union officials in all aspects of union activities to include meetings and all forms of communication.

Violations of any of these codes shall be cause  for removal from office upon approval by the general membership as determined at a general membership meeting.

​

ARTICLE XI: Removal of Officers by Executive Council

Section 1. An officer may be removed by a majority vote of the Executive Council (with adequate documented evidence) for one or all of the following reasons:

a. three (3) unexcused absences in a year.

1. An excused absence is defined as notification to the President, or designee, prior to the Executive Council meeting.

b. failure to fulfill those duties and responsibilities for which they were elected.

Section 2. The President shall notify an officer, in writing, when they have accumulated two (2) unexcused absences.

Section 3. An officer who has been removed by the Executive Council may appeal the decision before the Internal Review Panel.

​

ARTICLE XII: Area Rep Council

Section 1. Subject to the final authority of the Executive Council, the campus and District/DIS Area Rep Councils shall be considered the representative body of the organization, consisting of members of the organization appointed by the President and Vice President of each campus and District/DIS as follows:

a. there shall be appointed one Area Rep from each building or department located at each specific campus, site, or District/DIS,

b. an additional Area Rep shall be appointed in buildings or departments with more than twenty-five (25) employees,

c. the President and Vice Presidents for each campus, site and District/DIS shall designate appropriate placement of Area Reps not appointed to a specific building or department using the same formula as in (a) and (b) above.

Section 2. Commencing in 1994 and every two (2) year thereafter, the members of each campus, site, and District/DIS shall elect both Area Reps and Alternate Area Reps to their respective campus, sites, and District/DIS, no later than April 30th of that election year using the same formulas in (a), (b) and (c) above.

Section 3. The ad hoc Elections Committee shall conduct Area Rep Council elections using the same procedures as outlined in Article V, Sections 2, 4, 5, 6, and 7.

Section 4. All newly elected Area Reps and Alternates shall become non-voting members of the Area Rep Councils until they are eligible to take office.

Section 5. Successful candidates shall assume office the first day of July following the election.

Section 6. The Vice Presidents for OCC, GWC, CCC, and District/DIS shall be the presiding officers of the Area Rep Councils, but may vote only in the event of a tie.

Section 7. The Area Rep Councils shall meet twice (2) a month, or at the call of the campus Vice President, or District/DIS Vice President, or at the call of two (2) or more Area Reps.

Section 8. The jurisdiction of the Area Rep Councils shall be limited to those matters that are indigenous to their campus or sites respectively. Matters, which have general application to the colleges/sites collectively, shall be solely within the jurisdiction of the President and Executive Council.

​

ARTICLE XIII: Duties of Area Reps (If Applicable)

Section 1. Area Reps shall:

a. welcome new employees to the college, site, or District/DIS,

b. attend all regular and special meetings of the Area Rep Council,

c. hold regular monthly meetings of the membership at the worksite, or other appropriate place, for the purpose of making reports, discussing work place and organizational concerns, receiving instruction from the membership, and other activities as may be required,

d. recruit eligible persons for union membership,

e. conduct elections and referenda when so instructed by the ad hoc Elections Committee,

f. problem solve worksite issues and concerns,

g. notify grievance committee of potential grievance, and upon request, assist the grievance officer.

Section 2. Alternate Area Reps shall:

a. attend all regular and special meetings of the Area Rep Council,

b. assist the Area Reps in the conduct of all duties,

c. serve in the place of the Are Rep in the event of illness or absence.

​

ARTICLE XIV: Election of Convention Delegates

Section 1. Commencing in 1993 and every year thereafter, the members may elect delegates to attend either the convention(s) of the American Federation of Teachers, California Federation of Teachers or the California Labor Federation.

Section 2. Commencing in 1993 and every year thereafter, the Executive Council (with the exception of the President) may run for a delegate position to state and national conventions listed in Section 1 above.

Section 3. The appropriate Constitution & Bylaws of the AFT, CFT or CLF will determine number of delegates.

Section 4. The ad hoc Elections Committee shall conduct delegate elections.

Section 5. To be eligible as a delegate a person must be a member in good standing of the organization.

Section 6. At least fifteen (15) days prior to the date of the election, the ad hoc Elections Committee shall notify all members of the opening of nominations for delegates.

Section 7. The ad hoc Elections Committee shall prepare and send notification of candidates running for CFCE Convention Delegates, polling locations, times to cast ballot, and information to absentee vote no later than fifteen (15) days following the close of nominations.

Section 8. A majority of the ballots received shall determine the election. In the absence of a majority vote, the ad hoc Elections Committee shall conduct a run-off election among the two candidates who have received the most votes using the procedure specified in Section 7 above.

​

ARTICLE XV: Committees

Section 1. The standing and/or ad hoc committees of the organization shall be:

a. Contract Development

b. Elections

c. Grievance

d. COPE

e. Social

f. Membership

g. Evaluations Committee

h. Finance Committee

Section 2. The Executive Council may establish special committees.

Section 3. Upon appointment by the President and approval by the Executive Council, committee chairs shall have one (1) month to select committee members and present their names to the Executive Council.

Section 4. Within one (1) month of formation each committee shall present its annual program of action to the Executive Council and Area Rep Council.

Section 5. The ad hoc Elections Committee shall conduct and supervise all elections of the organization.

a. The chair and four (4) members of the ad hoc Elections Committee shall be appointed every two years by the Executive Council.

b. Should a member of the ad hoc Elections committee seek general office, they shall resign from the committee and the vacancy appointed by the Executive Council.

Section 6. The ad hoc Contract Development Committee shall conduct research, surveys, hearings, and other activities which shall assist the organization in its collective bargaining, or similar programs.

Section 7. The COPE (Committee on Political Education) Committee shall promote public and governmental support for public education, government services and health care; encourage the participation of the union’s members and the general public in governmental and political activities; improve union members’ and the general public’s understanding of policies and legislation that affect education, state, and local government and health care; and engage in lawful activities suitable for achieving these ends.

a. The membership of this committee shall consist of:

1. union members who make either a minimum of one(1) dollar per month automatic payroll deduction or a ten (10) dollar donation per year,

2. the officers of this committee shall be a chairperson, treasurer, and a secretary appointed by the president and subject to the constitution of the union.

b. This committee shall have the authority to carry out activities related and limited to the achievement of its purpose; and:

1. shall make recommendations to the Executive Council with regard to political endorsements,

2. has its own authority with regard to the disbursement of funds from a separate COPE fund for political activities subject to applicable laws and regulations.

Section 8. The Social Committee shall conduct activities, which promote the social well being of the membership, are attractive to potential members, the Cost District and the community it serves.

Section 9. The Membership Committee shall be responsible for coordinating and conducting membership recruitment activities, phone banking, and one-on-one membership recruitment.

Section 10. The Grievance Committee/Officers shall work towards the resolution of contractual and non-contractual disputes in the workplace, with the concurrence of the President; shall maintain records of grievances and their disposition and shall be responsible for the processing of grievances and disputes beyond the immediate work location with the concurrence of the President.

a. There may be two (2) grievance officers per campus and one (1) from District/DIS.

b. All grievances must be processed regardless of grievance officers’ personal opinion.

c. No grievance or dispute shall be denied without presidential approval.

d. Grievance officers should not help employees fill out employee grievance form.

e. All completed grievance information and files shall be immediately turned over to the President for future reference and storage.  If sent through District mail, the file must be sealed and marked confidential.

f. All grievances must be held in strictest confidence

g. The chairperson shall:

1. train all grievance officers before they are allowed to handle a grievance,

2. conduct at least one (1) monthly Grievance Committee meeting,

3. meet monthly with the President to go over all pending grievances,

4. give full status report to President before a grievance goes to Level III,

5. handle all grievances at Level III and/or arbitration

6. make recommendations and obtain approval from the Executive Council regarding grievances and disputes to be taken to arbitration or civil remedy,

7. request from Executive Council approval to seek professional counsel,

8. recruit grievance officers from each campus.

h. Grievance officers shall:

1. be respected members of their campus

2. attend monthly Grievance Committee meetings,

3. go through a training period,

4. handle informal conference, level I and level II grievance,

5. notify chairperson when a grievance or dispute is filed at formal level I or II,

6. notify chairperson when a grievance or dispute had been denied at formal level II,

7. discuss all grievances or disputes with the Grievance Committee,

8. send a copy of all formal grievances to the President within twenty-four (24) hours of being filed,

i. Grievant shall:

1. personally complete an Employee Grievance Form detailing the alleged grievance,

2. sign Grievance Form and authorization to represent.

j. Appeal Process:

1. employees may appeal a decision by the Grievance Committee by appearing before the Executive Council

2. the decision by the Executive Council shall be final and binding.

Section 11. The Evaluations Committee shall be responsible for coordinating and conducting an annual performance evaluation of the Office of the President and the Executive Council officers by the classified staff at large to provide meaningful feedback to the President and the Executive Council for future planning.

a. The membership of this committee shall consist of:

1. One chairperson (appointed by the Executive Council) and four members (one from each campus and the district), each selected at a general membership meeting by votes from their campus attendees.

b. Members of the committee shall:

1. Meet to compile or update a performance evaluation form which will be distributed to both members and non-members.

2. Distribute the performance evaluations in on-campus mailboxes which will be returned back to the campus/District committee representative.

3. Meet with the chairperson to compile the results which will be reported back to the Executive Council.

Section 12. The Finance Committee will inspect and analyze the financial records of the Federation on a regular basis, ensure that the financial transactions of the Federation are transparent and comply with all legal and ethical standards under the law, protect the financial integrity of the union, and provide oversight of financial transactions of the CFCE, AFT 4794.

a. The membership of this committee shall consist of twelve (12) members in good standing: seven (7) voting member, three (3) non-voting members, and two (2) consultants, as needed.  The consultants will be selected from the following offices: the President, Executive Vice President, and Secretary/Treasurer.

1. Voting members may not include Executive Council members past or present.

2. The number of voting members are determined by the number of union members at each site (CCC, GWC, OCC and District).  Each site is guaranteed a minimum of one (1) voting member.  Each site shall have one (1) voting member for every 100 union members or any portion thereof.

3. The Finance Committee will hold meetings bimonthly and in a manner consistent with its mission.

4. The chair of this committee will give a report at the Executive Council meeting to the Executive Council members on the committee’s finding recommendations.

5. The members of the Finance Committee will be provided release time from the Federation to carry out their duties.

b. The Finance Committee will be charged to:

1. Upon appointment of the committee chair by the President and approval by the Executive Council, the committee shall have one month to develop and publish procedural guidelines to carry out their duty in the oversight of financial resources and procedures.  These procedural guidelines for oversight must be approved by the membership for the following areas of oversight:

   1. Expenditures of membership dues and rebates

   2. Expenditure of release time

   3. Disbursements

   4. Review storage procedures for all records pertaining to finances of the CFCE Local 479

​

ARTICLE XVI: Internal Review Panel

The Executive Council hereby establishes a procedure for the selection of an arbitration panel for the settlement of an internal union dispute.  Such a panel shall be made available to hear a complaint from members concerning action by the union which the member(s) alleges to affect adversely hi/her remedies provided in the Constitution and Bylaws of CFCE Local 4794.

Section 2. The union Internal Review Panel shall consist of three (3) members:  one (1) chosen by each party, and a third (3rd), a chairperson, chosen by the first two (2).  The chair of the panel shall be chosen from an approved list of the American Arbitration Association.  The chairperson of the panel shall not be a member of CFCE 4794, nor shall have been a member during any of the five (5) precious years immediately prior to his or her appointment to the panel.

Section 3. The American Arbitration Association shall monitor each step of the procedure.

Section 4. Cases will be heard in the Los Angeles AAA region.

Section 5. CFCE 4794 shall assume the administrative costs of the procedure and the fees and expenses of the chairperson of the panel. CFCE 4794 shall assume the fees, if any, and expenses of the CFCE 4794 panel members.

Section 6. In order to insure that the complaint is not frivolous or mischievous, or that the complaint is not utterly without merit, the complainant shall post a two hundred and fifty dollar ($250) escrow amount with the AAA.  The panel shall not hear the case until the escrow is posted.  The tripartite panel shall, by its majority, decide whether the escrow fund will be returned or forfeited.

Section 7. A panel shall have authority to decide the issue in conflict and order a correction of the situation in those instances in which it is judged that the complaint has merit; however, no monetary damages can be granted in the award.

Section 8. The decision of the panel shall be final and they shall carry with them the obligation of full compliance by the complainant(s) and any affected member(s).

​

ARTICLE XVII: Revenues

Section 1. Beginning July 1, 2008, dues to the Coast Federation of Classified Employees shall be $550.00 annually (based on full-time employment) which includes affiliate per capita charges equal to $307.54, payable either in advance or through tenthly payroll deductions.  Effective July 1 every year thereafter, the dues of each member shall be increased by an amount equal to any increase in per capita payments that are required to be made to the American Federation of Teachers, California Federation of Teachers, or similar bodies with which the organization is affiliated.

Section 2. Dues to the Coast Federation of Classified Employees who earn less than twenty thousand dollars ($20,000) a year shall be on half (1/2) of the amount calculated in Section 1.

Section 3. Retired classified employees, who continue as union members, shall pay twenty-five dollars ($25) annually.

Section 4. Scholarship. Effective July 1, 1999, the Coast Federation of Classified Employees shall set aside a sum of fifteen cents ($.15) per member per month for ten (10) months to establish a student scholarship available to CFCE members in good standing for one year or their dependents who are attending or plan to attend a four-year college or university, a community college or a technical school. These funds will come out of current revenue and will not constitute and increase in dues.

​

ARTICLE XVIII: Affiliation

The local shall maintain affiliation with the following organizations:

a. the American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO

b. the appropriate state federation of the California’s Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO,

c. the state American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations,

d. the appropriate Central Labor Council(s) of the American Federation of Labor-Congress or Industrial Organizations.

​

ARTICLE XIX: Amendment

Section 1. Any member of the organization may present a proposed amendment to any regular meeting of the Executive Council, which shall notify the membership of the proposed amendment no later than fourteen (14) days prior to the next membership meeting.  Proposed amendments must be signed and dated by the author of each proposed amendment.

Section 2. A quorum must be present in order to take action on the floor of the general membership meeting.  If a quorum is present, a two-thirds vote of those present and voting shall be required to accept the amendment.  If a quorum is not present, the proposed amendment will be discussed, but no action taken.  A secret-ballot election will be held between two (2) to four (4) weeks after the membership meeting using either the U.S. mail or campus ballot boxes.  A minimum of seventy-five (75) ballots must be cast in a secret-ballot vote in order for any action on an amendment to take place.  A two-thirds vote of those secret-ballots cast shall be required to accept the amendment.   

​

ARTICLE XX: Availability of Constitution

Section 1. Three (3) copies of this Constitution and all subsequent amendments shall be submitted to the office of the Secretary/Treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers.

Section 2. One (1) copy shall be sent to the similar officers of each organization with which this local is affiliate.

Section 3. The Secretary shall provide a copy to all members of the local in addition to make available, upon request, additional copies to any member of the local, or Coast District employee.

​

ARTICLE XXI: Rules of Order

Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised shall govern this organization and all or its subordinate bodies in all matters not covered by this Constitution & Bylaws of this organization.