INDEX

Note: Areas in red indicate REVISED IN CONVENTION 2000 or typos

NAME AND OBJECT

Section 1. This Association shall be known as the Washington State Association of Letter Carriers.

Section 2. The objects of the Association are to assist the National Association of Letter Carriers in maintaining a more perfect organization and improving the Postal Service; to organize all letter carriers within the State; to conduct training and educational seminars for all members; and to guide and direct all activities relating to legislation within the State; and any other activities requested by Branches; and to represent all Branches when requested.

Membership of this Association shall be composed of all members in good standing in the National Association of Letter Carriers within the geographical boundaries of the state of Washington.

Section 1A. This Association shall meet at least once each year at such time and place as may be decided upon by majority vote at a previous session unless conditions should arise which require a change in the time and place decided upon or designated, when the President and Executive Board shall have authority to make such change of time and place and report through the Secretary-Treasurer. The regular meeting of the Association shall be held annually between May 1 and June 30 excluding Memorial Day weekend.

Section 1B. The Convention City shall be selected four (4) years in advance of such convention, and the actual dates of such convention shall be announced in the WASHINGTON STATE LETTER CARRIER at least eight (8) months prior to the Convention. The Convention City shall receive financial assistance from the State Association not to exceed $6,000.00. A detailed accounting of the expenditures of the Convention City shall be returned to the Secretary-Treasurer for accounting, filing and future reference, within sixty (60) days of the close of the convention.

Section 1C. The President shall at some time prior to adjournment declare a regular order of business, the consideration of a convention city, and at such time grant ten (10) minutes of the convention time to any city wishing to host a future Washington State Association of Letter Carriers Convention.

Special Meetings

Section 2. Special meetings shall be called by the President upon the written request of not less than one-half (1/2) of the Branches representing not less than one-fourth (1/4) of the membership of this Association. The Secretary-Treasurer shall notify by letter each Branch entitled to representation in this Association stating the object of the meeting call. This meeting shall transact no business other than stated in the call.

Section 3. Seventy-five (75) delegates representing at least twenty-five (25) percent (%) of the Branches shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business, but less than that number may adjourn to meet at some future specified time. 

Officers' Meetings

Section 4A. The President shall at least once a year call a meeting of all State Officers.

Section 4B. The Secretary-Treasurer shall have printed in the issue of the WASHINGTON STATE LETTER CARRIER, following all meetings, the complete minutes of the Officers' Meeting.

Section 1. The revenue of the Washington State Association of Letter Carriers shall be derived from the following sources:

Section 1. Those who shall be entitled to a vote and one vote only in the meetings of this Association shall be it's officers, delegates from Branches and the delegate-at-large.

Section 2. The basis of representation and vote shall be one delegate and one vote for each Branch having a membership of five (5) per capita tax paying members or less, and one additional delegate and one additional vote for each five (5) per capita tax paying members or major fraction up to fifty (50) members and one delegate and one vote for each ten (10) members or major fraction thereof in excess of fifty members.

Section 3. Election of delegates shall be made no later than December of the previous year to each convention. Each delegate shall be elected by secret ballot to serve from the meeting to which the delegate was elected by a secret ballot until the next succeeding regular convention. Only those delegates who have been elected by a secret ballot of the members of the Branches may vote for the election of officers.

Section 4. Gold Card members, plus the number of members of whom per capita tax is paid into this Association for the beginning of the term, January 1, prior to the convention shall determine the number of votes to which a Branch is entitled.

Section 5. At the regular election of delegates, the Branch shall also elect the same number of alternates as there are delegates elected, who shall be recognized as the alternate in the event of the inability of any delegates to attend a regular or special meeting of this Association, provided, that the alternate who received the highest number of votes shall be assigned to act instead of any one delegate who is unable to attend such meetings, and when more than one delegate who is unable to attend such meetings, alternates shall be assigned in accordance with the number of votes cast for such one in the election, and shall be certified in such numerical order to act in their stead. Any vacancy in the official delegate or alternate may be filled by the Branch. An alternate before being admitted to the meetings of this Association shall present, together with the delegate's certificate of election, written evidence from the Secretary of the delegate's Branch or from the delegate for whom the delegate was elected to alternate that the delegate is unable to attend the meeting.

Section 6. A delegate cannot be admitted to the meetings of the Association who is in arrears either to this Association or to the National Association of Letter Carriers.

Section 7A. The State Secretary-Treasurer shall furnish all Branches in good standing in the Washington State Association, free delegate and alternate cards no later than February fifteenth of the convention year, the same to be filled in and mailed to the State President, who shall deliver same to the Credential Committee prior to the convention.

Section 7B. Branch Secretaries shall submit a list, typewritten and alphabetized, of the names of their delegates attending the State Convention to the Secretary of the host city, at least three weeks in advance of the date of the convention.

ARTICLE 6

OFFICERS

Section 1. The elective officers of the Association shall be President, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer, Director of Education, Editor WASHINGTON STATE LETTER CARRIER, and Executive Board of five (5), Director of Retired Members who shall be a retired member. These officers shall be elected biennially and hold office for two (2) years or until their successors are duly elected and installed.

Section 2. Any regular Branch member in good standing shall be eligible to any office of this Association, except the Director of Retired Members.

Section 3. By virtue of their offices, the President and Vice-President in office at the time of the National Convention shall be the Delegate-at-large and Alternate Delegate-at-large, respectively, to the National Convention.

ARTICLE 7

Section 1. The President shall preside at all meetings of this Association and enforce all laws thereof. The President shall fill all vacancies occasioned by death or otherwise, with persons duly qualified, until an election shall be held. The President shall sign all documents and papers that require the President's signature to properly authenticate them. The President shall appoint at each regular meeting a committee of three (3) on credentials which committee shall at once proceed to discharge its duties; a committee of three (3) on audit to at once examine the books of the Secretary-Treasurer; a committee of three (3) on mileage and per diem and a Sergeant-at-Arms. At the close of each meeting the President shall appoint other committees as directed by the convention, and shall have power to fill all vacancies occurring in an appointive committee or elective office during recess. The President's correspondence with Branches, when practical, shall be conducted through the Secretary-Treasurer. The President shall submit at the regular meeting of this Association a written report of all the President's official acts during the President's term of office, and the President shall perform such other duties as the laws, rules and usages of the Association may require. The President shall, together with the Secretary-Treasurer, sign and file with the Secretary of Labor on behalf of the State Association, the annual financial reports as may be required by law. The State President, immediately upon assuming the President's duties, shall continue the plan of dividing the State into districts and assigning an elected State Officer to each district. The State President or the President's designee shall be a delegate to the Washington State Labor Council AFL-CIO Convention. The President or the President's designee may attend regional rap or training sessions. The President shall receive for expenses, other than allowable expenses, a per annum salary equal to twenty (20) days at letter carrier level 5, step O pay, to be NALC Level 1 pay effective in November, 2000.

VICE PRESIDENT

Section 2. The Vice-President shall preside in the absence of the President, as well as in any case involving the death, resignation, disqualification, refusal or neglect of the President to discharge the duties of the President's office, until an election can be held. The Vice-President shall perform such duties as the President may require. The Vice-President shall assist in the organizing efforts throughout the state.

SECRETARY-TREASURER

Section 3. The Secretary-Treasurer shall conduct the correspondence of this Association, read or cause to be read all its communications, reports, etc., and the Secretary-Treasurer shall keep a correct record of its proceedings. The Secretary-Treasurer shall keep a record of the name, number, date of affiliation and location of each Branch of the Association.

The Secretary-Treasurer shall receive, receipt for, and disburse all monies of this Association, and keep a regular, true, and accurate record and a complete breakdown thereof. The Secretary-Treasurer shall draw checks, countersigned by the President, ordered by the Association for payment of bills. The Secretary-Treasurer shall deposit all monies received in depositories approved by the Executive Board. Such deposits shall be in the name of the Washington State Association of Letter Carriers and interest thereon shall be credited to the General Fund of this Association.

The Secretary-Treasurer shall assure that every officer, employee, and other representative of the Association who handles funds or other property shall be bonded therefore to provide protection against loss by reason of acts of fraud or dishonesty on their part directly or through connivance with others. Such bond shall be in the amount required by law and shall be determined at the beginning of each fiscal year. The expense of such bond shall be paid by the Association.

The Secretary-Treasurer shall make annual reports to the Executive Board and to every Branch of this Association in detail as shown by the books in the Secretary-Treasurer's office. The Secretary-Treasurer shall perform such other duties as the laws, rules and usages of this Association may require. The Secretary-Treasurer or another designated officer shall be a delegate to the Washington State Labor Council AFL-CIO Convention. The Secretary-Treasurer shall at the end of the Secretary-Treasurer's term, or when called upon by the Executive Board, account for and deliver to the Association, or the Secretary-Treasurer's successor in office, all monies, books, papers, securities and other property of the Association that may have come into the Secretary-Treasurer's hands that have not been previously and lawfully disposed of. The Secretary-Treasurer shall receive, other than allowable expenses, a per annum salary equal to twelve (12) days at letter carrier level 5, step O pay, to be NALC Level 1 pay effective in November, 2000.

ASSISTANT SECRETARY

Section 4. The President shall appoint an Assistant Secretary to the Secretary-Treasurer for the purpose of assisting of taking minutes of the State Convention, and assisting the Secretary-Treasurer between conventions as needed. The Assistant Secretary shall receive such expense money as approved by the Executive Board. Per diem expenses payment, plus two (2) nights lodging, shall be allowed while attending the State Convention.

EXECUTIVE BOARD

Section 5. The Executive Board shall have charge of the property of this Association. They shall direct the investment of the funds of this Association. They shall designate depositories in which the Secretary-Treasurer deposits all Association funds received. They shall examine all bills, approve the same if found correct, and keep a correct account of all bills audited. The Executive Board shall constitute the Committee on By-Laws. They shall act as Trustees of this Association and in every way carry out the interests of this Association.

EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

Section 6. The Executive Council shall consist of the President, Vice-President, Secretary-Treasurer, Director of Education, Editor of the WASHINGTON STATE LETTER CARRIER, Director of Retired Members, and the Executive Board Members. Meetings of the Executive Council shall be at the call of the President at such time and place as the President may determine or by petition by a majority of the members of the Council.

The President shall act as chair of the Executive Council, when in session, and the Secretary-Treasurer shall act as its Secretary. Second only to the Convention in policy-making authority, it shall act between Conventions on all matters related to the welfare of the Association not specifically prohibited by the membership and it shall submit such proposed changes to the By-Laws to Convention as it may deem expedient. All formal actions of the Executive Council during recess shall be recorded by the Secretary-Treasurer and reported to the Association.

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION

Section 7. The Director of Education shall act as coordinator between the National and State Associations in arranging seminars and training schools on State, District and Branch levels. The Director of Education shall receive, other than allowable expenses, a per annum salary equal to twelve (12) days at letter carrier level 5, step O pay, to be NALC Level 1 pay effective in November, 2000.

EDITOR OF THE WASHINGTON STATE LETTER CARRIER

Section 8A. The Editor shall have general supervision of the publication subject to the approval of the Executive Board.

Section 8B. It shall be the responsibility of the outgoing Editor and Editor's assistant to publish the Post Convention Issue of the WASHINGTON STATE LETTER CARRIER.

Section 8C. For the Editor's expenses, the Editor shall receive the sum of one hundred and fifty dollars ($150.00) per issue.

Section 8D. When approved by a majority of the Board of Officers, the President may appoint a MEMBER OF THE WASHINGTON STATE ASSOCIATION OF LETTER CARRIERS OR WASHINGTON STATE AUXILIARY to serve as an Assistant Editor. The person appointed must be approved by the Editor. For expenses, the Assistant Editor shall receive the sum of twenty-five dollars ($25.00) per issue.

DIRECTOR OF RETIRED MEMBERS

Section 9. The Director of Retired Members' duties shall be to coordinate all activities of the Retired Members, and the Director of Retired Members shall be the legislative advocate and the Congressional Liaison for the retired members of the Washington State Association of Letter Carriers. The Director of Retired Members shall be under the direct supervision of the President, and shall perform such other duties as may be assigned to the Director of Retired Members from time to time by the President.

OFFICERS'ANNUAL REPORT

Section 10A. All State Officers are required to submit to the State Secretary-Treasurer, thirty days (30) prior to the State Convention, their annual reports, so they may be placed in the Resolutions booklet.

Section 10B. These reports must be in double spaced typewritten form.

DELEGATES TO THE WASHINGTON STATE LABOR COUNCIL

Section 11A. There shall be at least two (2) representatives from the Washington State Association of Letter Carriers in attendance at the Washington State Labor Council AFL-CIO Convention.

Section 11B. Delegates to the Washington State Labor Council Convention shall receive an amount not to exceed mileage, per diem, and lodging at the single occupancy rate in such amount as provided by Article 10 for each day in attendance.

LEGISLATIVE CHAIRMAN

Section 12B. The Legislative Chair shall be empowered to contact, instruct and coordinate the activities of the Legislative Chairs of the various member Branches of the Washington State Association.

Section 12C. It will be the duty of the State Legislative Chair to publicize the legislative aims of the Association using any and all publicity media at the Legislative Chair's command.

Section 12D. A complete report of all activities and money used shall be published in the State Convention book.

NATIONAL CONVENTION

Section 13A. The ranking Officer of the Washington State Association in attendance at the National Convention shall be empowered to call caucuses of all delegates from the State for the purpose of furthering the wishes of the State Association; it being further understood that the ranking officer shall be the State President and/or the Delegate-at-Large.

Section 13B. The delegation from the Washington State Association to the National Convention shall be empowered to withdraw any resolution presented by said Association.