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Article 4Officers, Delegates and Elections International
Officers Section 1 (a). The officers of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters shall consist of a General President, General Secretary-Treasurer (hereinafter referred to as Executive Officers), eighteen (18) Vice Presidents-International Representatives (hereinafter referred to as Vice Presidents) and three (3) Trustees-International Representatives (hereinafter referred to as Trustees). The General President, the General Secretary-Treasurer and the eighteen (18) Vice Presidents shall constitute the General Executive Board. (b). There shall be three (3) regional Vice Presidents from the Eastern Conference, three (3) from the Central Conference, two (2) from the Southern Conference, two (2) from the Western Conference and two (2) from the Canadian Conference. There shall also be five (5) Vice Presidents at large. (b). There shall be three (3) regional Vice Presidents from the Eastern Conference, three (3) from the Central Conference, two (2) from the Southern Conference, three (3) from the Western Conference and two (2) from the Canadian Conference. There shall also be five (5) Vice Presidents at large. (c). Beginning with the 1996 election of International Union officers, the number of International Vice Presidents shall be determined on the basis that each Area Conference shall be entitled to at least two (2) regional Vice Presidents and one (l) additional regional Vice President for each 100,000 members, or major fraction thereof, in excess of 200,000 members. Regional Vice Presidents shall be in addition to the five (5) Vice Presidents at Large. For purposes of determining the number of regional Vice Presidents from each Area Conference, the General Secretary-Treasurer shall calculate the average membership of each Area Conference for the two-year period ending in the month of September, preceding the Convention. Immediately upon making that determination, the General Secretary-Treasurer shall notify each Area Conference of the number of regional Vice Presidents to which it is entitled and will publish such determination in the next issue of the International Teamster. (d). The term of office of all International Union officers shall be five (5) years, or the interval between regular Conventions, whichever is the longer, and until their successor is qualified and sworn, subject however to the provisions of Article IX, Section 7. Election of
Officers The amendments to Article IV, Section 2 shall not become effective until the month after the certification of the results of the 1991 election of International Union officers and the installation of the newly elected officers. Section 2 (a). A candidate for any International Union office may become a candidate for election by secret ballot vote of the membership upon attaining the signatures of at least five percent (5%) of the membership of the relevant membership pool (i.e., a candidate running for union-wide office must obtain signatures on petitions of five percent (5%) of the entire membership, while a candidate running for regional Vice President must obtain signatures on petitions of five percent (5%) of the membership of the Area Conference in which he is a candidate). Such petitions may only be circulated by a member in good standing, on forms prepared by the International Tellers. To the extent that the Consent Decree entered in United States v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters, et al., 88 Civ. 4486 (S.D.N.Y.)(DNE) remains in effect as of the effective date of this amendment, the General Executive Board is authorized to reduce the percentage of signatures necessary to attain nomination provided, however, that the percentage may not be reduced below two and a half percent (2.5%) of the relevant membership pool. (b). Candidates for the three (3) Trustee positions shall be nominated by motion made in open Convention by a delegate and seconded by another delegate. No candidate shall make or second his own nomination. Candidates must accept nomination no later than at the time made, either in person or in writing. Trustees shall be elected at the Convention by secret ballot vote of the delegates. Each delegate may vote for three (3) candidates for Trustee and the three (3) candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected. In the event of a tie vote for the third Trustee, there shall be a rerun election between only those candidates who received the same number of votes. (b). The number of signatures necessary to become nominated shall be determined based upon the average membership of the International Union and of each Area Conference during the twenty-four (24) month period ending in the month of September, preceding the Convention. The General Secretary-Treasurer shall publish those membership figures no later than the issue of the International Teamster for January of the year of the Convention. (c). After the nomination of International Vice Presidents and the election of Trustees, delegates shall nominate candidates for General President and General Secretary-Treasurer. Nominations shall be made in open Convention by a delegate and seconded by another delegate. No candidate shall make or second his own nomination. Candidates must accept floor nomination no later than at the time made, either in person or in writing. To qualify for the ballot as a candidate for General President or General Secretary-Treasurer, a candidate who has been nominated from the floor of the Convention must, thereafter, receive at least five (5) percent of the votes cast by the delegates to the Convention. Such voting shall be conducted by secret ballot. In calculating the number of votes necessary for nomination for the ballot, any fraction shall be rounded to the next whole number. No member may accept floor nomination for the office of General President and for the office of General Secretary-Treasurer. (c). Candidates shall submit petitions bearing the necessary signatures to the International Tellers on or before April 1 of the Convention year. No petitions shall be accepted after that date. The International Tellers shall review the petitions to determine whether the minimum number of valid signatures has been obtained and to verify that the petitions have been signed by members in good standing of affiliated Local Unions. In performing this function, the International Tellers may employ professional assistants to determine whether the petitions contain forged signatures or multiple signatures by the same signator. The International Tellers may take whatever other action is necessary to verify the accuracy or validity of petition signatures. (d). Candidates must accept nomination resulting from the secret ballot nomination vote in person at the start of the regular business of the morning session of the fifth day of the Convention or, if absent, by written acceptance filed at least one day prior to the close of the Convention. No member shall accept secret ballot nomination for more than one (1) International Union office. (d). Upon determination that a candidate has obtained the required number of valid signatures and has satisfied the eligibility requirements of Article II, Section 4 (a), the International Tellers shall certify the candidate as a bona fide candidate for the specified office. For purposes of determining eligibility to run for office, the twenty-four (24) continuous month period specified in Article II, Section 4 (a) shall be the twenty-four (24) months preceding the month in which the Convention is convened. In determining whether a candidate has obtained a sufficient number of signatures to comply with this Section, any fraction will be rounded to the next highest number. (e). Where the number of floor nominations does not exceed the number of positions open for election, there shall be no necessity for any further nomination or election process with respect to such floor nominee(s), and such nominee(s) shall be declared duly elected. Where the number of nominations resulting from the secret ballot nomination vote does not exceed the number of positions open for election, there shall be no necessity for the election of such nominee(s) and such nominee(s) shall be declared duly elected. (e). At the Convention, the International Tellers shall report the names of all bona fide candidates and the offices for which they are running to the delegates. Bona fide candidates must accept their nomination at that time, either in person or in writing. Candidates may not accept nomination for more than one (1) International Union office. Such candidates shall have their names appear on the ballot for the secret ballot election to be conducted pursuant to Section 3 of this Article. Where the number of bona fide candidates does not exceed the number of positions open for election, there shall be no necessity for any further election process and the bona fide candidates shall be declared duty elected. (f). Each candidate nominated from the floor shall be entitled to an observer at each nomination or election balloting site. A candidate may not be an observer at a polling place where his name appears on the ballot. The secret balloting shall be conducted by International Tellers. Candidates and their observers shall have the right to witness the ballot tabulation. The International Tellers shall report the results to the Chairman of the Convention, who shall announce the results to the delegates. Objections to the election of Trustees or nomination of other officers shall be made immediately upon the announcement of the results. Objections shall be made to the Conventions and shall specify the alleged violation and the manner in which the outcome of the nomination or election may have been affected. Objections shall be resolved by majority vote of the delegates. (These procedures for conducting balloting and resolving objections may be superseded in the event that the Election Officer supervises the 1996 elections, or in the event that the Department of Labor supervises the elections in 1996 or any elections thereafter.) (g). Trustees and other officers who may have been declared elected under Section 2 (e), shall be certified on the last day of the Convention but shall not assume their official duties until the expiration of the terms of the incumbent officers, upon the certification of the results of the rank and file election of the General Executive Board. Section 3 (a). No less than four (4) months and no more than six (6) months after the Convention, candidates nominated for the ballot for the offices of General President, General Secretary-Treasurer and Vice President shall be elected by direct rank-and-file voting by members in good standing. All voting shall be by secret ballot. All eligible members shall be entitled to vote for General President, General Secretary-Treasurer and at large Vice Presidents. Eligible members shall also be entitled to vote for their respective regional Vice Presidents. The amendments to Article IV, Section 3 shall not become effective until the month after the certification of the results of the 1991 election of International Union officers and the installation of the newly elected officers. Section 3 (a). No less than four (4) months and no more than six (6) months after the Convention, bona fide candidates for the offices of General President, General Secretary-Treasurer, Vice President and International Trustee shall be elected by direct rank-and-file voting by members in good standing. All voting shall be by secret ballot. All eligible members shall be entitled to vote for General President, General Secretary-Treasurer, at large Vice Presidents and International Trustees. Eligible members shall also be entitled to vote for their respective regional Vice Presidents. (b). The candidates for Genera! President, General Secretary-Treasurer and at large Vice Presidents, respectively, receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected. The candidates receiving the highest number of votes for Eastern, Western, Southern, Canadian and Central Conference Vice Presidents, respectively, shall be declared elected. In the event of a tie vote which determines election to office, there shall be a rerun election between the tied candidates. (b). The bona fide candidates for General President, General Secretary-Treasurer and at large Vice Presidents, respectively, receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected. The bona fide candidates receiving the highest number of votes for Eastern, Western, Southern, Canadian and Central Conference Vice Presidents, respectively, shall be declared elected. The three (3) bona fide candidates for International Trustee receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared elected. In the event of a tie vote which determines election to office, there shall be a rerun election between the tied bona fide candidates. (c). All direct rank-and-file voting by secret ballot described above shall be by in-person ballot box voting at local unions or absentee ballot procedures where necessary, in accordance with Department of Labor regulations. (c). All direct rank-and-file voting by secret ballot described above shall be by in-person ballot box voting at local unions with absentee ballot procedures where necessary, in accordance with Department of Labor regulations, or by mail referendum balloting, at the discretion of the Local Union Executive Board. (d). Officers who may have been declared elected under Section 2 (e) of this Article, shall be certified on the last day of the Convention but shall not assume their official duties until the expiration of the terms of the incumbent officers, upon the certification of the results of the rank and file election for the remaining contested International Union offices. Section 4. At the option and expense of the United States of America, the Election Officer appointed pursuant to the Consent Decree in United States v. International Brotherhood of Teamsters, et al., 88 Civ. 4486 (S.D.N. Y.) (DNE), may supervise the International Union delegate and officer nomination and election process for the 1996 elections. At the option and expense of the United States of America, the Department of Labor may be substituted for the Election Officer to supervise that nomination and election process. Thereafter, at the option and expense of the United States of America, the Department of Labor may supervise nominations and elections of all International Union officers. Section 4. No candidate for election shall accept or use any contributions or other things of value received from any employers, representative of an employer, foundation, trust or any similar entity. Nothing herein shall be interpreted to prohibit receipt of contributions from fellow employees and members of this International Union. Violation of this provision shall be grounds for removal from office. Delegates
to Conventions and Other Meetings; Expenses; Unit Rule All expenses and allowances of the above delegates shall be paid by the International Union, the amount to be determined by the General President. The unit rule shall prevail in all votes cast among the delegates representing the International Union at such conventions and meetings. |
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