CONSTITUTION
for
NEW YORK CITY
METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART EMPLOYEES
LOCAL 1503

Article I

Name

The name of this organization shall be New York City Metropolitan Museum Employees Local Number 1503 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, AFL-CIO.

Article II

Affiliations

This local union shall be affiliated with New York City District Council Number 37 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; the New York State AFL-CIO; and the New York City Central Labor Council, AFL-CIO.

Article III

Objectives

The objectives of this local union shall be to carry out on a local basis the objectives of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees; to improve working conditions, labor-management relationships and other matters directly affecting museum employees; and also to cooperate with the Museum administration in its relationship with the City on points of mutual interest to labor and management.

Article IV

Membership and Dues

Section 1. All employees of the New York City Metropolitan Museum of Art are eligible for membership in this local union; subject to the requirements of the Constitution of the International Union.

Section 2. Application for membership shall be made on a standard application form. Unless such form includes a valid authorization for payroll deduction of dues, the application shall be accompanied by the current month’s dues.

Section 3. The bi-weekly membership dues of the local shall be $28.70 per member. If the monthly per capita tax to District Council 37 and/or the International Union are increased, the bi-weekly dues rates of this local shall automatically be increased by an amount sufficient to cover the additional per capita tax rounded up to the next highest $.05.

Section 4. Membership dues shall be payable monthly in advance to the local Secretary-Treasurer and in any event shall be paid not later than the 15th day of the month in which they become due. Any member who fails to pay dues on the 15th day of the month in which they become due shall be considered delinquent, and upon failure to pay dues for two successive months shall stand suspended. Provided, however, that any person who is paying his/her dues through a system of regular payroll deduction shall for so long as he/she continues to pay through such deduction method, be considered in good standing.

Section 5. A member suspended under the above section may be reinstated to the membership in the local on payment of all arrearages.

Article V

Meetings

Section 1. There shall be a minimum of four general membership meetings during each calendar year, at the time and place fixed by the membership or the Executive Board.

Section 2. Special meetings may be called by the local President, the local Executive Board, or by petition filed with the President and signed by 10% of the members of the local. Special meetings may also be called by the International President or his authorized representatives.

Section 3. A quorum of 25 members must be in attendance at all membership meetings in order to carry out the business of this local union.

Article VI

Officers, Nominations, and Elections

Section 1. The officers of this local shall be a President, first Vice-President, four chapter Vice-Presidents, Secretary-Treasurer, Recording Secretary, Correspondence Secretary and the three Executive Board members and these twelve shall constitute the local Executive Board. In addition, there shall be elected three members who shall serve as Trustees, also a Sergeant-at-Arms, and a Building Organizer. Delegates to District Council 37 (as required by membership quota) and also for New York Central Labor Council, shall be elected. All officers shall be elected for a term of three years starting November, 1988.

Section 2. Nominations shall be made at a regular or special meeting of this local held in the month of October. At least fifteen days advance notice shall be given the membership prior to the nomination meeting. A nominating committee may be appointed or elected to make nominations, but whether or not such nominating committee is used, nominations shall be permitted from the floor of the nomination meeting. All regular elections shall be held in the month of November.

Section 3. To be eligible for office, a member must be in good standing for one year immediately proceeding the election, except in the initial election held in this local; provided, however, that no retired member shall be a candidate for office.

Section 4. Officers shall be elected by secret ballot vote, and the balloting shall be so conducted as to afford all members a reasonable opportunity to vote. At least fifteen days advance notice shall be given the membership prior to the holding of the election.

Section 5. All matters concerning nominations and elections in this local union shall be subject to provisions of Appendix D, entitled Elections Code, of the International Union Constitution.

Section 6. Declinations made after the meeting in which nominations are taken, shall be delivered to the Chairperson of the Nominating Committee in writing and signed by the nominee, and this declination shall be binding and irreversible. The Chairperson of the Nominating Committee will forward all declinations to the Chairperson of the Elections Committee.

Section 7. Any declination must have been received by the Chairperson of the Nominating Committee by a date to be announced by the Nominating Committee at the nominations meeting.

Section 8. As a part of the election procedure, the local will make available a current roster of members at union headquarters to any candidate for the purpose of mailing literature at the candidate’s expense.

Section 9. Vacancies in office shall be filled for the remainder of the unexpired term by vote of the Executive Board.

Section 10. Every officer shall, upon assuming office, subscribe to the Obligation of an Officer contained in Appendix B of the International Union Constitution.

Article VII

Duties of Officers and Executive Board

Section 1. The President shall preside at all meetings of the local union and of the Executive Board. He/she shall be a member of all committees. He/she shall countersign all checks drawn against the funds of the local. He/she shall appoint all standing committees and all special committees of the local, subject to the approval of the Executive Board. He/she shall report periodically to the membership regarding the progress and standing of the local regarding his official acts. By virtue of his election the President shall be this local’s delegate to all conventions of the Federation beginning during the term of office.

Section 2. The first Vice-President shall assist the President in the work of his/her office. In the absence of the President or in his inability to serve, the first Vice-President shall preside over all meetings and perform all duties otherwise performed by the President. The first Vice-President may, with the approval of the Executive Board, be authorized to act as co-signers of checks drawn on the local funds in place of either the President or Secretary-Treasurer.

Section 3. The four chapter Vice-Presidents shall serve as the chairpersons, serve on labor-management, collective bargaining committees with the city and museum on matters directly affecting those museum employees in work titles they were duly elected to represent. Three chapter Vice-Presidents shall be elected by those members in the covered work title of each chapter as listed, Security Titles, Maintainer Titles and Technician Titles. One chapter Vice-President shall be elected to represent the Cloisters membership by those members at the Cloisters.

Section 4. The Recording Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of all membership meetings and of all Executive Board meetings. The Recording Secretary shall carry on the official correspondence of the local, except as the Executive Board may direct otherwise. The Recording Secretary shall perform such other duties as the Executive Board may require.

Section 5. The Correspondence Secretary of the local shall keep the records of the membership roster, updating, deletions, status changes and other matters directly affecting members’ health benefit plans and union services of our council or international union. The Correspondence Secretary shall provide assistance in the filing of benefit forms and shall perform such other duties as the Executive Board may require.

Section 6. The Secretary-Treasurer shall receive and receipt all monies of the local union. He/she shall deposit all money so the received in the name of the local union in a bank or banks selected by the Executive Board, and money so deposited shall be withdrawn only by check signed by the President and the Secretary-Treasurer. He/she shall prepare and sign checks for such purposes as are required by the constitution or are authorized by the membership or the Executive Board. He/she shall prepare and submit the monthly membership report to the International Union office and see that a check is drawn in payment of the local’s per capita tax each month and sent to the International Secretary-Treasurer. He/she shall keep an accurate record of all receipts and disbursements and shall, once each month, submit to the membership a monthly operating statement of the financial transactions of the local for the previous month. He/she shall act as custodian of all properties of the local union. He/she shall, at the expense of the local union and through the International Union, give a surety bond for an amount fixed by the Executive Board of the local union. He/she shall see that any financial reports required by the International Union Constitution to be submitted to the International Union are submitted in accordance with the International Union Constitution.

Section 7. The Trustees shall make or cause to be made at least semi-annually an audit of the local’s finances, and shall report to membership on the results of such audit.

Section 8. The Executive Board shall be the governing body of the local union except when meetings of the local union are in session. All matters affecting the policies, aims and means of accomplishing the purposes of the local not specifically provided for in this constitution or by action of the membership at a regular or special meeting shall be decided by the Executive Board. The board shall meet at the call of the President or a majority of the members of the board. A report on all actions taken by the Executive Board shall be made to membership at the next meeting. A majority of the members of the Executive Board shall be required for a quorum. Whether a grievance should be brought to arbitration shall be decided by majority vote of the Executive Board.

Article VIII

Miscellaneous Provisions

Section 1. This local union shall at all times be subject to the provisions of the constitution of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Section 2. Except to the extent specified in this constitution, no officer of the local union shall have the power to act as an agent for or otherwise bind the local union in any way whatsoever. No member or group of members or any other person or persons shall have the power to act on behalf of or otherwise bind the local union except to the extent specifically authorized in writing by the President of the local union or by the Executive Board of the union.

Section 3. The rules contained in the current edition of Robert’s Rules of Order, (Newly Revised), shall govern this local in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with this Constitution and special rules of this local union or of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees.

Section 4. Copies of the International Constitution and the Constitution of the local shall be made available to all members of this local.

Section 5. A majority vote of the Executive Board shall be required for the approval of all expenditures exceeding four hundred dollars but not more than one thousand dollars. Expenses of less than four hundred dollars may be authorized by the President but must receive subsequent approval by the Executive Board. Expenses of more than one thousand dollars must be approved at a meeting of the general membership.

Section 6. Museum Shop Stewards shall be elected by the membership they represent in the month of February, in the odd-numbered years.

Section 7. The Chief Shop Steward shall be elected in the month of May, in the odd-numbered years by a majority vote of the Executive Board and elected shop stewards.

Section 8. The local union shall pay the first year application fee for the membership in District Council 37 Retiree’s Association for all members of this local at retirement.

Section 9. The local shall pay for a floral arrangement, or the equivalent of, not to exceed $100.00; the wishes of the immediate family of the deceased member shall be honored.

Section 10. The Collective Bargaining Committee of Local 1503 shall consist of: President, Vice-President, four (4) chapter Vice-Presidents and Recording Secretary for negotiations with the Museum (union contract) and for Cultural Tripartite bargaining sessions with the City.

Article IX

Amendments

This Constitution may be amended, revised, or otherwise changed by a two-thirds vote of the members voting on such proposed change and such change shall take effect only upon written approval of the International President. Proposed amendments to this Constitution must be read at a regular or special meeting of the local union and read and voted on at a subsequent meeting of the local union, adequate and proper notice having been given to the membership prior to the date on which the vote is taken. A written copy of the proposed amendment shall be furnished to every eligible voter at the meeting at which the vote is taken.

APPROVED BY:
GERALD W. McENTEE
International President
Approval Date: April 18, 2011