Article 1: Membership
Eligible persons for membership of Kean Federation of Teachers shall be all members of the bargaining unit.
Article 2: Dues
Section 1: Dues shall be one per cent of gross salary per year.
Section 2: Dues may be paid annually in advance within the month of September or they may be paid in two installations of which one-half shall be paid in September and one-half shall be paid in January, or they may be paid by dues check-off.
Section 3: Members in arrears may not make motions, may not make nominations and may not vote but they may speak to motions made by members in good standing. Members in arrears may not hold office.
Section 4: Members shall be adjudged in arrears by the treasurer if Section 2 above has not been complied with by October 1 of any given year and again by March 1 for those paying in two installments, and they have been billed fifteen (15) days in advance.
Section 5: Any person making dues payments or service fee payments to the Union in lieu of dues under agency shop provisions in the Union’s Collective Bargaining Agreement shall have the right to object to the expenditure of his/her portion of such payments for activities or causes of a political nature or involving controversial issues of public importance only incidentally related to wages, hours and conditions of employment. Such objections if at all, shall be made by the objector individually notifying the Union President and Treasurer of his/her objection by registered or certified mail, during the period between September 1-15 of each year. Such objection, if any, shall be renewed each year in the same period in the same manner.
The approximate proportion of dues and service fees spent by the Union for such purposes shall be determined annually, after each fiscal year of the Union, by the Union’s officers. Rebate of a pro-rated portion of his/her dues or service fees corresponding to such proportion shall hereafter be made to each individual who has filed a timely notice of objection, as provided above.
Section 6: If an objector is dissatisfied with the proportional allocation that has been determined on the ground that it assertedly does not accurately reflect the expenditures of the Union in the defined area, an appeal may be taken by such person to the Union Executive Council within thirty (30) days following receipt of such rebate or receipt of notice of such allocation. The Executive Council shall render a decision on such appeal within thirty (30) days following its receipt. If the objector remains dissatisfied, he/she may file an appeal therefrom to the membership by lodging the appeal with the President of the Union within thirty (30) days following receipt of the Executive Council decision, which appeal shall be heard at the next regular membership meeting of the Union or at a regular membership meeting which occurs within ninety (90) days thereafter. If he/she is dissatisfied with the membership action, he/she may further appeal, within thirty (30) days following the decision of the membership, to the Review Panel as provided in Section 7.
Section 7: (a) In order to assure objective disposition of complaints about rebates of sums paid to the Union under dues of agency shop contract provisions, there shall be established a Review Panel composed of prominent disinterested citizens who are not a part of or employed by the American Federation of Teachers or its affiliates.
(b) The Review Panel shall consist of not more than five (5) members including the chairman. The Union President shall, with the approval of the Union Executive Council, designate the members including the chairman of the initial Review Panel. Thereafter, whenever a vacancy shall occur on the Review Panel, the vacancy shall be filled by the Union President from a list of names submitted by the remaining members of the Review Panel.
(d) The Review Panel shall formulate such rules of procedure and establish such practices as it finds necessary to its proper functioning.
(e) The Review Panel shall submit to the Union Executive Council an annual report of its activities, which report shall contain a summary of all cases brought before the Review Panel during that year. Copies of the annual report shall be available upon request to all members and to all non-members subject to agency shop
contract provisions.
(f) The Union shall pay the reasonable and necessary expenses of the Review Panel.
Article 3: Nominations
Petitioners must obtain acceptance of the nomination before presenting a petition to the election committee. Petitions may be presented to the election committee prior to the meeting at which nominations are to be made or they may be presented at the meeting itself.
Article 4: Appointment of Special Committees
Section 1: A budget committee shall be appointed by the President following the annual election. The committee shall present a budget for approval of the membership at the first meeting in the fall. The budget shall run from September 1 through August 31.
Section 2: An audit committee shall be appointed by the President. It must include at least one member who is not a member of the Executive Council. It shall audit the financial records of the year closing on August 31 and report at the first meeting in the fall.
Section 3: An election committee shall be appointed in December to carry out the election of officers according to the Constitution of this Federation. The President shall not serve on this committee.
Article 5: Meeting of the Executive Council
The Executive Council shall meet at least once a month when the University is in session.
The days and times of the meeting shall be set and publicized by the Executive Council following
the annual election. One-third of the Executive Council shall constitute a quorum.
Article 6: Duties of the Vice Presidents
As requested by the President, the Vice-Presidents shall assist the President in internal affairs (official
meeting, e.g. Board of Trustees); external affairs (e.g., Council of New Jersey State College and
University Locals, Commission of Higher Education) and personnel matters (e.g., maintaining
committee assignments).
Article 7: Special Meetings
The President may call a special meeting at any time. The Executive Council may by a majority vote direct the President to call a special meeting. A petition signed by ten percent of the members in good standing shall constitute a requirement that the President call a special meeting.
Article 8: Membership of Record
In order to participate in balloting active membership of record for at least one month prior to the notice of the ballot is required.
Article 9: Eligibility of Executive Council
In order to be eligible for any elected position on the Executive Committee, a member must be in good standing for at least one year.
Article 10
No member may be a candidate for more than one elected position on the Executive Council or hold more than one elected position in the Union at the same time. In the event of resignation or vacation from office, a member may hold another position temporarily with the approval of the Executive Council in order that the office may be filled. Article 4, Section 6 of Constitution shall then apply.
Article 11: Attendance
Any elected member or ex-officio member of the Executive Council who fails to attend three consecutive meetings or a total of four meetings during the year, shall e automatically dropped from the Executive Council and replaced by the President with the approval of the Executive Council. Executive Council may suspend this rule in special circumstances in petition of the individual involved.
Article 12: Recall of Officers
All elected officers, delegates, members of the Executive Council, Departmental representatives shall be subject to recall. A signed petition of 45% of the active membership stating just cause may initiate the procedure. The membership will then be polled by mail ballot. The approval of 75% of the membership is necessary for recall motion to pass.
Article 13: Terms of Office
All elected officers, delegates, members of the Executive Council shall serve for a period of two years. Terms of office coincide with the academic year, July 1 – June 30.
Article 14: Emeritus
The former Presidents of the Federation become non-voting members emeriti of the Executive Council.
Article 15: Agenda for Membership Meeting
An agenda for regularly scheduled meetings shall be published and distributed to members at least one week in advance. Special meetings shall have agenda published with the notice of the meeting.
Article 16: Agenda for Executive Council Meetings
An agenda for regularly scheduled and special meetings of the Executive Council shall be published and distributed to members at least one week in advance. Special meetings shall have the agenda published with the notice of the meeting.
Article 17: Salary for KFT Officers
The KFT Executive Council shall have the right to create an annual salary scale for officers and pay dues for specific members charged with responsibilities for the Union in accordance with Article VI Section 6 of the Constitution.
Article 18: Delegates to State Council
President shall appoint delegates to State council other than the KCFT President and Vice President with the approval of the Executive Council.
Article 19: Executive Coordinators
The KFT President shall appoint executive coordinators to sit on the Executive Council subject to the Council’s approval.
Article 20: Amendments
These by-laws may be amended by the same procedures as set forth for amendments to the Constitution except that a simple majority of the members voting at a regular meeting or a special meeting called for the purpose shall be sufficient to amend the by-laws.
Approved by Executive Council