The following positions will be open for nominations at the November 2nd General Membership Meeting:
- Vice President (two-year term)
- Secretary (two-year term)
- Librarian-at-large (one-year-term)
- LTA/LA-at-large (one-year-term)
- PSA-at-large (one-year-term)
- Page-at-large Position 1 (one-year-term)
- Page-at-large Position 2 (one-year-term)
- Maintenance Worker-at-large (one-year-term)
- All Other Classifications-at-large (one-year-term)
- Trustee (three-year term)
Nominations can be made at the November 2nd General Membership meeting at Service Center, or by contacting Election Committee Chair Elaine Ang at elaine8789@hotmail.com
Elections will take place by US Mail during the month of November.
For more information about the open positions, see below:
At-Large-Positions
These positions are part of an eleven-member executive board, which governs the local when a membership meeting is not in session. The board makes decisions on financial transactions and communication to the membership. These positions also provide feedback and context for the Staff Representative and President, particularly for the classification group they represent.
At-large members do not have assigned officer duties, but often help with meeting and union event coordinating and setup, member education and communication, and union-related political action. There is a wide range of options, depending on a person’s interest and skills. For someone interested in taking on more of a leadership role in the union, an at-large position is an excellent first introduction to how the union functions.
Here are some of the leadership possibilities AFSCME lists for officers: “Typical leadership tasks include: • Creating a one-on-one communication structure; • Recruiting members to become involved in the union’s activities; • Educating members on issues/problems facing the union through meetings, newsletters and emails; • Creating opportunities for membership activity • Organizing non-members and unrepresented workers; • Self-assessments and planning.”
At-large positions require a small time commitment, primarily to in-person meeting attendance at monthly executive board or membership meetings. Meetings usually last between 2-3 hours. Some occasional information may also be sent out by email. Officers who work on additional tasks for the union may spend an additional two to three hours a month working on union-related tasks.
Secretary
The recording secretary maintains a record of all the meetings of the local, and is responsible for taking minutes at all executive board and general membership meetings, and sending those minutes in a timely way to the executive board or president for distribution to the membership.
The secretary is also responsible for maintaining a current contact roster for the executive board, and may take on additional correspondence/communication with the membership if interested, by coordinating website information or quarterly flyers.
This position requires a moderate time commitment, mostly to in-person meeting attendance at executive board and membership meetings, and regular time to finalize and distribute monthly minutes. Access to a computer with internet access, and the ability to create Word documents or PDF files makes distribution much easier. The Secretary serves a two year term from November-November.
Vice President
The vice president assists the president in overseeing the administrative operations of Local 1857, and serves the role of president when the president is not available.
The Vice President is primarily responsible for all aspects related to Local 1857 Union Stewards and works closely with the staff representative to monitor scheduling and tracking grievances, union representation at disciplinary meetings, and scheduling regular stewards meetings and trainings. They also chair the grievance committee, responsible for determining the status of any grievances filed by Local 1857.
The Vice President also serves as a primary contact for members concerned about violation of the contract, attends monthly Labor/Management meetings with KCLS administration, and may be called on to attend other meetings with KCLS. The Vice President is also a counter-signer of union checks.
The Vice President is an important link between the executive board and staff representative and the Union Stewards. Their work can make a significant difference in communicating one-on-one with members, and helping the union stay aware of workplace issues.
This position requires a higher time commitment, both to in-person meeting attendance with KCLS administration (union leave hours are available to offset missed work time or to use as substitute hours), and to communication via e-mail and phone.
Trustee
Trustees are responsible for the auditing of the local’s finances, and ensuring that the membership has a full and transparent accounting of union funds. They are independent of the executive board, and do not have to attend executive board meetings. Trustees are elected to a three-year term, but only meet one day per year, ideally in spring, to review the locals financial documents.