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By-Laws of the Lake Superior Newspaper Guild Local No. 37008/TNG 8 of The Newspaper Guild Sector of the Communications Workers of America

Article I - Structure

1. This body shall be known as the Lake Superior Newspaper Guild. It shall be governed by the Constitution of The Newspaper Guild (AFL-CIO, CLC) its policies adopted in International Convention and these by-laws, which are supplementary thereto. The Newspaper Guild having merged with the Communications Workers of America, the Lake Superior Newspaper Guild shall be known as CWA Local 37008/TNG 8, effective June 20,1997.

2. The membership meeting of the local shall be the supreme authority of the local.

3. Between general meetings of the local, its governing body shall be the Executive Board, which shall administer affairs, but shall make no decisions permanently establishing general policies of the local.

4. No member not in good standing or under suspension shall have voice, vote or the right of petition in the affairs of the Guild, but any such shall remain under all obligations of membership.

Article II - Membership Meetings

1. Regular meetings of the membership shall be held at least four times a year, the specific time and place to be set by the Executive Board. The annual meeting shall be held in December.

2. The secretary shall give not less than two days notice by mail or bulletin board to the membership in advance of every meeting.

3. No motion to reverse or review previous discussions of the membership or Executive Board shall be acted upon unless it shall have been contained in the meeting notice. The secretary shall include in the meeting notice any motion from five or more members in good standing of an intention to move for such a review and reversal.

4. A special membership meeting shall be called by the secretary on instruction of the Executive Board or on a written petition signed by not fewer than 20 percent of the members in good standing at the time those members file a petition. Any group petitioning for a special meeting shall specify the purpose or purposes for which the meeting is to be called.

5. A quorum at any meeting shall be the presence of at least five members in good standing.

Article III - Officers

1. Officers of this local shall be a president, a vice president, a secretary and a treasurer.

2. The president shall preside at all meetings, appoint all standing committees subject to approval by the Executive Board, and supervise other officers in the exercise of their respective duties. He or she shall sign all membership cards.

3. The vice president shall perform the president's duties in the absence of that officer.

4. The secretary shall be the custodian of the local's records other than financial, shall conduct routine correspondence of the local other than financial and such other correspondence as may be directed by the Executive Board and the local, and shall keep accurate minutes of membership meetings and Executive Board meetings.

5. The treasurer shall be the custodian of all money of the local under the direction of the Executive Board, except that no authorization shall be required for routine office expenses and routine transmissions of International money to The Newspaper Guild. He or she shall report on the local's finances at all regular meetings of the local and whenever called upon by the Executive Board or the local, and shall present his or her accounts for audit at any time the Executive Board or the local desires. The treasurer shall keep complete and accurate records of the membership, their addresses and dues standings. He or she shall be responsible for the application in the local of the financial provisions of The Newspaper Guild Constitution and these by-laws, acting through unit treasurers in the case of members of units, and shall issue to unit treasurers membership cards, as well as dues and assessment stamps and other routine supplies required for their work. He or she shall be bonded for a sum to be set annually by the Executive Board.

6. The Executive Board shall have general direction of all officers.

7. The president, vice president, secretary and treasurer's local monthly dues shall be paid by the local in exchange for the faithful performance of duties as determined at the discretion of the Executive Board. All other officers and Executive Board members shall serve without pay, except that they shall be reimbursed for travel and other expenses while on Guild business.

Article IV - Executive Board

1. The Executive Board shall consist of the elected local officers and one elected representative from each department or departments as follows:
Advertising and Marketing, Maintenance, Editorial, Business and Data Pocessing, Circulation. The board also shall include three representatives elected at large and the immediate past president.

2. The Executive Board shall meet at least once a month.

3. A quorum at any meeting of the Executive Board shall consist of not fewer than four members in good standing.

4. In general, the Executive Board shall be the governing body of the local. It shall have general direction of all standing committees and it shall supervise the handling of all the local money except for payments of strictly routine nature. Checks shall be valid only when signed by the treasurer and one other officer.

Article V - Standing Committees

1. The Executive Board shall have the authority to establish standing committees to assist in and facilitate the function and promotion of the local.

2. All standing committees shall be chaired by a member of the Executive Board and, whenever practical, shall include membership from each department or unit of the local.

Article VI - Elections

1. The local's officers shall be elected at the annual meeting by secret ballot and shall assume office immediately upon the conclusion of said meeting.

2. Nomination of officers shall be made by a nominating committee, apointed by the president and chaired by the past president, at a membership meeting held not fewer than 30 days prior to the annual meeting. The notice for this meeting shall state that nominations of officers wll be made at that time. Not fewer than 15 days before the election, the secretary shall mail to the home of each member a list of qualified candidates, together with a notice of the time and place of election.

3. In the event that at the time of the annual election there is only one candidate for any post, his or her name can be left off the ballot and he or she can be declared elected without vote. In the event there are more than two candidates, a majority of those voting shall be required to elect one of them.

4. Delegates and alternates to the International Convention of The Newspaper Guild shall be nominated from the floor and elected by secret ballot at regular membership meetings, which shall also determine the number to be elected. Delegates shall have their necessary expenses to the convention paid by the local.

5. Vacancies in the post of local officers shall be filled by the Executive Board, but members so designated shall hold office only until the next membership meeting for which proper notice can be given.

6. Delegates to bodies with which the Guild is affiliated shall be appointed by the president.

Article VII - Units

1. This article and all other references to shop units or unit officers shall be inoperative until there shall be more than one unit affiliated with the Lake Superior Newspaper Guild.

2. Each unit shall receive nominations for, and elect annually by secret ballot, at a meeting in the month following the annual membership meeting of the local, a unit president, vice president, treasurer and unit delegate to the local Executive Board.

Unit delegates shall be certified to the Executive Board by the unit treasurer. Notice of the meeting for the nomination and election of unit officers and delegates shall be mailed to each membr of the unit at his or her house no fewer than 15 days before the meeting. The notice shall state that nominations will be received and election held for the unit officers and unit delegates to the local Executive Board up for election and shall specify the time and place of the meeting.

3. The unit treausrer under the direction of the local treasurer shall have charge of the execution of the fiscal provisions of the Constitution of The Newspaper Guild and these by-laws as they apply to unit members.

4. Vacancies in the posts of unit officers or delegates to the Executive Board of the local shall be filled by nomination and a unit election by secret ballot at the next meeting for which proper notice can be given.

5. Unit election disputes shall be decided by the local's Executive Board.

6. Each unit shall file promptly after each unit meeting a copy of the minutes with the local's secretary.

Article VIII - Membership and Dues

1. An applicant for membership shall submit his or her application to the Executive Board of the local with the initiation fee and one month's dues.

2. Good standing requirements as put forth in the Constitution of The Newspaper Guild shall be in effect.

3. Dues shall be paid monthly and graduated in accordance with the wages of members as posted on Guild bulletin boards.

4. The initiation fee shall be $5 for full-time employees who choose to join the Guild.

5. Local dues shall be placed in an operating fund, except that the amount directed by The Newspaper Guild Constitution shall be paid into a local defense fund.

Article IX - Collective Bargaining Agreement

1. Negotiators in collective bargaining on behalf of the local or any of its units shall be selected by the president subject to approval by the Executive Board. The negotiations shall be open to members of the local.

2. Any agreement arrived at in negotiations shall be submitted to the membership for approval. Before signing, it shall require ratification also by the local's Executive Board.

3. During any period when collective bargaining is pending, no member may discuss collective conditions of employment or matters pertaiing to collective bargaining with the employer or representatives of the employer.

Article X -Discipline

Discipline shall be governed by the terms of The Newspaper Guild Constitution.

Article XI - Use of the Guild name

Use of the Guild name for any commercial purpose without specific authorization by the Executive Board is prohibited.

Article XII - Referendum

1. Any matter to be decided by the local may be submitted to a referendum of the membership by either the local or the Executive Board and shall be submitted to such a referendum upon a petition signed by not less than 20 percent of members in good standing.

2. The referendum may take the form of a vote by mail or a vote in person at designated polling places or a combination of both. No ballot shall be mailed to a member not in good standing, and all members shall be given 15 days notice in advance of any referendum by mail or by bulletin board notice.

3. Issues decided or changes in these by-laws effected by referendum vote shall not be revoked except by referendum vote.

Article XIII - Official Publication

1. The official publication o f the local shall be "The Inner View," which shall be published at least four times annually under the general direction of the Executive Board. The secretary of the local shall serve as editor, and may select other members to assist in its preparation and publication. "The Inner View " shall be distributed to members free of charge.

2. Whenever notice to the membership is required by these by-laws, publication on page 1 of "The Inner View" shall constitute compliance.

Article XIV - Amendments

These by-laws may be amended by any membership meeting upon submission of the proposed amendment by the Executive Board of its own motion or by petition signed by not fewer than 20 percent of the members in good standing. Such proposed amendments shall be mailed to the membership not fewer than 15 days before the meeting with notice of the meeting time and place.

Article XV - Interpretation

These by-laws shall be interpreted by the Executive Board subject to appeal to the membership at a membership meeting, the International Executive Board and the next International Convention of The Newspaper Guild. Questions of procedure not covered by The Newspaper Guild Constitution, convention decisions or these by-laws shall be governed by the latest edition of Robert's Rules of Order.