Article I

Offices

  The principal office of the Association for the transaction of its business is located in the County of Solano, California, or such other places as its business may require, and as the Executive Board may, from time to time, designate.

 

Article II

Membership

  1. There shall be two categories of membership: Active and Associate. Active membership shall be open to any person who is engaged in or who is on limited leave of absence from professional educational work, is an employee of Solano Community College District, and whose primary assignment does not include supervisory responsibility over other certificated employees to such an extent as not to be represented in the negotiations process by the Association.  Associate membership shall be open to any person who is interested in advancing the cause of public education but who is not eligible for active membership in the Association.  The different types of eligibility and services for such memberships are prescribed in the CTA Standing Rules (as adopted May 1975 and amended May 1976 and June 1980).  These membership categories shall not compete with those of another CTA/NEA chapter within the same employing district. 
  2. Membership may be granted upon initiation of payroll deduction or upon payment of annual CCA/CTA/NEA dues appropriate to the class of membership. 
  3. The right to vote and to hold elective office or appointive position within the Association shall be limited to Active members. 
  4. Active members shall be eligible to vote in all elections, hold elective office or appointive position, receive special services, obtain assistance in the protection of professional and civil rights, and receive reports and publications of the Association. 
  5. An individual who is serving as a negotiator for a public school employer shall not be eligible for membership in the Association. 
  6. Active members shall adhere to The Code of Ethics of the Education Profession, as published in the California Teachers Association Organizational Handbook. 
  7. The rights to and privileges of membership, including but not limited to the right to vote, seek office, or otherwise participate in the affairs of the chapter,  shall not be abridged in any way because of age, sex, race/ethnic group, color, marital status, national origin, sexual orientation, disability, or religion. 
  8. No member of the Association may be disciplined without a due process hearing, which shall include the established appellate procedure, as established in the California Teachers Association Bylaws. 
  9. The membership year shall start on September 1 and end August 31 of the following calendar year. 

 

Article III

Dues and Fees

  1. The CCA/CTA/NEA annual dues for both regular and adjunct Active members and representation fee for non-members represented in the bargaining unit shall be determined by CCA/CTA/NEA and communicated to the District for payroll deductions. 
  2. The Association’s local annual dues for both regular and adjunct faculty and the representation fee for non-members shall be established by the Executive Board at the last regular meeting of the school year. 
  3. The Association shall apportion any negotiated representative fee or organizational security fee on the same percentage basis as the Chapter/ CCA/CTA/NEA dues. 
  4. Membership in a given class or category shall be continuous after initial enrollment until delinquent or until a change in professional status shall make the member ineligible for that class or category.  If by October 31 of any calendar year a member has not either paid the established annual membership dues for the current membership year, or made satisfactory arrangements for payment, then that person’s membership shall be considered delinquent and that person dropped from the roster. 

 

Article IV

Policy-Making Body

  1. The policy-making body of the Association shall be the Executive Board, which derives its powers from and shall be responsible to the Active membership. 
  2. The Executive Board shall be composed of the following Active members: 
    1. President 
    2. Vice President 
    3. Secretary 
    4. Treasurer 
    5. Immediate Past President, and 
    6. Faculty Representatives 
  3. The Executive Board shall: 
    1. Establish Association policies and objectives;
    2. Coordinate the activities of the Association; 
    3. Conduct the business of the Association as prescribed by law and these Bylaws, subject to any restrictions that may be imposed by the Active membership; 
    4. Adopt the annual budget of the Association by the second meeting of September; 
    5. Approve the establishment or discontinuance of committees; 
    6. Direct the bargaining activities and grievance proceedings of the Association; 
    7. Establish the local dues of the Association for the membership; 
    8. Establish the representation fee for associate members who wish to contribute to the Association; 
    9. Call for meetings of the General Membership as necessary; and 
    10. Adopt the Standing Rules of the Association. 
  4. The Executive Board shall meet at least once a month during the academic year; the number, place, and time of meetings to be decided by the Executive Board. 
  5. Special meetings of the Executive Board may be called by the President or by petition of twenty (20) percent of the Active membership. 
  6. Special meetings of the Executive Board shall be called for a specific purpose and no business other than that for which the meeting is called may be transacted. 
  7. Notices and agendas for all regular meetings of the Executive Board shall be sent to all members of the Executive Board at least two days prior to the date of the meeting. 
  8. For emergency meetings of the Executive Board during crisis situations, the President shall notify members of the Executive Board of meeting dates, places, and times. 
  9. A quorum for all meetings of the Executive Board shall consist of a majority of all voting members of the Executive Board. 
  10. Members of the Executive Board shall serve a term of two (2) years except for the Immediate Past President who shall serve a term of one year. 

 

Article V

Faculty Representatives

  1. Regular faculty representatives shall be elected by and from the regular Active membership of each division.  One representative will be elected for every 30 full-time faculty or major fraction thereof within each division.  Such elections shall use open nominations and a secret ballot.  The term of office for Faculty Representatives will be concurrent with the terms of the officers of the Association. 
  2. For purposes of implementing regular faculty representation, the following Divisions are recognized: 
    1. Business and Computer Science 
    2. Counseling/DSP/EOPS/Library/Learning Resources 
    3. Fine & Applied Arts/Behavioral Sciences 
    4. Health Occupations 
    5. Humanities 
    6. Physical Education & Athletics 
    7. Math & Science, and 
    8. Trade & Technical. 
  3. Adjunct faculty representatives shall be elected by and from the Active adjunct members.  One representative will be elected for each 30 Active adjunct faculty or major fraction thereof.  Such elections shall be conducted with open nominations and secret ballots.  The term of office for Adjunct Faculty Representatives will be concurrent with the terms of the officers of the Association. 
  4. Every effort shall me made to elect faculty representatives before the end of the academic year and the results of those elections reported to the Secretary. Vacancies in the office of Representative for whatever cause shall be filled by properly elected replacements within 30 days. 
  5. Faculty representatives shall: 
    1. Conduct constant and ongoing liaison between the Executive Board and the Active members of their units; 
    2. Serve as the official channel through which written communications and publications can be easily and quickly transmitted between the Association and the members; 
    3. Represent the views and input of the Active membership of the faculty in votes taken in the Executive Board, conducting frequent and regular polls of such membership for this purpose; and 
    4. Perform such additional duties as prescribed by the Executive Board. 
    5. Attend the meetings of the Executive Board. A division representative who misses more than two consecutive Executive Board meetings and who has not sent a substitute may be removed from his/her position. 
  6. Past President Shall: 
    1. Inform the officers of the past practices of the Association. 
    2.  
    3. Be responsible for carrying out special projects as designated by the President and the Executive Board. 

 

Article VI

Officers

  1. The officers of the Association shall be: President, Vice-President, Secretary, and Treasurer.  These officers shall be and remain currently Active members (that is, dues paying members for CCA/CTA/NEA) as a condition for nomination to and service in their respective positions during their terms of office. 
  2. These officers shall be elected by and from the Active membership of the Association.  Such elections shall be conducted with open nominations and secret ballots. 
  3. Officers shall be elected for a term of two (2) years commencing June 1 of any calendar year. 
  4. A vacancy shall be deemed to exist in the case of death, resignation, or inability to serve in any of the offices of the Association.  If there is a vacancy occurring in the office of the President, the Vice President shall assume the office.  In the event a vacancy occurs in the other offices, a special election may be held to elect successors to fill the unexpired terms as deemed necessary by the Executive Board. 
  5. The President shall be the chief executive officer of the Association and its policy leader.  The President shall: 
    1. Preside at all meetings of the Association and Executive Board; 
    2. Prepare and distribute the agenda for the meetings of the Association and Executive Board to the Active membership; 
    3. Be the official spokesperson for the Association; 
    4. Be familiar with the governance documents of CCA, CTA, and NEA; 
    5. Appoint members to established Standing and Ad Hoc Committees with the approval of the Executive Board; 
    6. Appoint all chairpersons of the Negotiating Team, Grievance Committee, and other standing and ad hoc committees with the approval of the Executive Board; 
    7. Call meetings of the Association and Executive Board; 
    8. Suggest policies, plans, and activities for the Association and be held responsible for the progress and work of the Association; 
    9. Attend meetings of the Service Center Council of which the Association is a part; 
    10. Attend other CTA/NEA meetings as directed by the membership; 
    11. Appoint someone to attend official functions in the event the President and Vice President are unable to attend; 
    12. Upon leaving office, turn over to the incoming President on or before June 1 all documents and records in his/her possession that pertain to the business of the Chapter for the purpose of maintaining archival records for future reference. 
  6. The Vice President shall: 
    1. Serve as assistant to the President in all duties of the President; 
    2. Assume the duties of the President in the absence of the President; 
    3. Be responsible for the formation and distribution of the Association’s calendar of activities; and 
    4. Serve as coordinator of committee activities at the direction of the President. 
    5. Upon leaving office, turn over to the incoming Vice President on or before June 1 all documents and records in his/her possession that pertain to the business of the Chapter for the purpose of maintaining archival records for future reference. 
  7. The Secretary shall: 
    1. Keep a careful and accurate record of the proceedings of each regular or special meeting of the Association and Executive Board; 
    2. Be responsible for the distribution of minutes for all meetings to members of the Executive Board and the membership when appropriate; 
    3. Keep an accurate roster of the membership of the Association and of all committees; 
    4. Conduct the correspondence pertaining to the affairs of the Association as directed by the President. 
    5. Upon leaving office, turn over to the incoming Secretary on or before June 1 all documents and records in his/her possession that pertain to the business of the Chapter for the purpose of maintaining archival records for future reference. 
  8. The Treasurer shall: 
    1. Receive all funds belonging to the Association and be responsible for their safekeeping and accounting; 
    2. Pay out such funds upon recommendation of the President and approval of the Executive Board; 
    3. Present a financial update for each regular meeting of the Executive Board; 
    4. Prepare and present written semi-annual financial reports to the Executive Board; 
    5. Submit membership and financial reports to CCA, CTA, and NEA and other agencies as required by law; 
    6. Have the Association’s financial records audited in a manner to meet legal requirements;  
    7. Develop with the Chapter President an annual budget which shall be presented to the Executive Board for approval no later than September 30. 
    8. Provide a smooth and orderly transition for the incoming treasurer by turning over to the incoming Treasurer on or before June 1 all documents and records in his/her possession that pertain to the financial business of the Chapter. 

 

Article VII

Contract Negotiations

  1. The Association Negotiation Team shall be composed of one regular member from each of the divisions recognized in Article V.B. of these Chapter Bylaws and two adjunct representatives.  The regular representatives shall be elected using open nominations and secret ballots within each division.  The adjunct representatives shall be elected from the Active adjunct faculty using open nominations and secret ballots.  Every effort shall be made to conduct elections for faculty representatives to the Negotiating Team prior to the end of the previous academic year. The President and Negotiating Team shall meet to mutually decide upon the selection of a chair. The President shall have authority to make the final selection in accordance with Article V.F.6.. That selection shall be subject to approval by the Executive Board. 
  2. Negotiating Team members shall serve for a period of two years and may succeed themselves. 
  3. The Negotiating Team shall begin the negotiations process on or before September 1 of any year in which a contract or part of a contract expires. 
  4. The Negotiating Team may utilize consultants or other resources as needed when approved by the Executive Board. 
  5. The Negotiating Team may make no final agreement with the Governing Board or its representative without first obtaining the approval of the Executive Board followed by ratification by a simple majority vote of the Active membership in a valid election. 
  6. If in the opinion of the Executive Board the Negotiations Chair or member of the Negotiating Team has failed to perform their obligations, then the Executive Board may recall the Chair or member by a simple majority vote.  Upon such recall, the Secretary shall notify the members of the division (as specified in Article V.B. of these Bylaws) of the vacancy and request that division elect a representative within 30 days. 
  7. The Negotiations Chair shall regularly update the President on all matters related to negotiations. 

Article VIII

Grievance Processing

  1. The Association Grievance Committee shall be composed of one regular from each division and two adjunct representatives.  The regular representatives shall be elected from the Active regular faculty within each division using open nominations and secret ballots.  The adjunct representatives shall be elected from the Active adjunct faculty using open nominations and secret ballots.  Every effort shall be made to conduct elections for faculty representatives to the Grievance Committee prior to the end of the previous academic year.  The President shall appoint a chairperson subject to approval by the Executive Board. 
  2. Members of the Grievance Committee shall serve terms of two years that run concurrently with those of members of the Executive Board, and members of the Grievance Committee may succeed themselves.
  3. The Association shall represent any bargaining unit member in the processing of grievances according to procedures in the current contract. The Association shall represent CCA/CTA/NEA members in the solving of a professional problem arising out of the performance of his/her professional duties. 
  4. The Grievance Chairperson shall be responsible for coordinating the activities and the timely processing of all grievances in accordance with the timeline set forth in the collective bargaining agreement, and shall maintain a confidential file on the disposition of all cases for a period of five years after which time they will be destroyed. These confidential files shall be held in the Association Office, and shall only be available to the Grievance Chair, the President, and the Vice President unless otherwise authorized by the Grievant.

Article IX

Committees

  1. In addition to the Negotiations and Grievance Committees, the Association shall also have the following Standing Committees: Membership, Political Action, Bylaws, and Organizing. 
  2. The Executive Board shall call for Special (ad hoc) Committees as needed. 
  3. Each committee shall consist of at least three members. 
  4. The Association President shall appoint the chairperson and members of the Standing and Special Committees subject to approval of the Executive Board. 
  5. The Executive Board shall determine the number of committee members unless otherwise specified in these Bylaws or Standing Rules.  Committees shall develop their own procedures and present these to the Executive Board for approval.  Such procedures shall become part of the Standing Rules of the Association. 
  6. The terms of the committee chairs and members shall be concurrent with the terms of the officers of the Association. 
  7. Each committee shall submit periodic reports as requested by the Executive Board. 
  8. In the event of a vacancy, the President shall appoint a replacement with approval of the Executive Board. 
  9. If, in the opinion of the Executive Board, a chairperson or committee member is not fulfilling his/her obligation, the President shall appoint a replacement with the approval of the Executive Board. 

Article X

Parliamentary Procedures

  1. Robert’s Rules of Order, Newly Revised, latest edition shall be followed at all meetings of the Association and Executive Board. 
  2. The Executive Board shall select a parliamentarian from their own members to serve both the Executive Board and the Association Meetings. 

Article XI

Amendments

These Bylaws may be amended by a simple majority of the Active members of the Association voting in a valid election as defined in the Bylaws and Standing Rules.