Local Secretaries Toolkit
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LOCAL SECRETARIES TOOLKIT Local Secretaries Toolkit Last updated July 8, 2020 Table of Contents Welcome ........................................................................................................................................ 4 Job Description ............................................................................................................................... 5 Gathering Resources .................................................................................................................. 7 Local Executive Committee Contact Information ........................................................................ 9 Taking Minutes ............................................................................................................................. 10 Guidelines for Taking Minutes .................................................................................................. 10 Minutes Format: Example ......................................................................................................... 12 Minutes: Example ..................................................................................................................... 13 Minutes: Template .................................................................................................................... 14 General Membership Meeting Agenda ......................................................................................... 15 Other Duties ................................................................................................................................. 16 Running a Successful Meeting ................................................................................................. 17 Your Local Executive Committee (LEC) Meeting ..................................................................... 17 Local Executive Committee (LEC) Meeting Checklist .............................................................. 18 Effective General Membership Meetings .................................................................................. 20 GMM Planning Checklist .......................................................................................................... 22 Quick Guide Secretary’s Report ............................................................................................... 26 Local Meetings Motion Form .................................................................................................... 27 Reference Guide for Local Elections ............................................................................................ 28 The OPSEU Constitution – 2019 Edition .................................................................................. 28 The OPSEU Policy Manual – Section 15.1-3 ........................................................................... 31 OPSEU Accommodation Policy ............................................................................................ 32 Local Elections Checklist .......................................................................................................... 34 Sample Voting Booths .............................................................................................................. 43 OPSEU RESOURCES ................................................................................................................. 44 Roles and Responsibilities of Local Union Officers .................................................................. 48 Local Health & Safety Committees- OPSEU Policy ................................................................. 51 Labour Management Committees ............................................................................................ 54 OPSEU Equity Committees and Caucuses .................................................................................. 55 Indigenous Circle (IC) ............................................................................................................... 56 Disability Rights Caucus (DRC) ................................................................................................ 57 Provincial Francophone Committee (PFC) ............................................................................... 58 Provincial Human Rights Committee (PHRC) .......................................................................... 59 Provincial Women’s Committee (PWC) .................................................................................... 60 2 Provincial Young Workers Committee (PYC) ........................................................................... 61 Rainbow Alliance arc-en-ciel (RAA) ......................................................................................... 62 Coalition of Racialized Workers (CoRW) .................................................................................. 63 Equity Information on the OPSEU Website .............................................................................. 64 The Local Structure ...................................................................................................................... 65 Local Officers/ Different Locals ................................................................................................. 66 What region are you in? ........................................................................................................... 67 The Local in OPSEU and Labour Movement ........................................................................... 68 OPSEU Decision Making .......................................................................................................... 69 Annual Convention ................................................................................................................... 70 The Executive Board ................................................................................................................ 71 OPSEU Officers ........................................................................................................................ 72 The President ....................................................................................................................... 73 First Vice-President/Treasurer .............................................................................................. 74 Sectors of the Union and their Legislation ................................................................................ 75 OPSEU Organizational Chart ................................................................................................... 76 Statement of Respect ............................................................................................................... 77 Funding Programs .................................................................................................................... 78 Application for Local Communications Incentive Fund Rebate ................................................ 79 Glossary of Labour Terms and Acronyms ................................................................................ 80 3 Welcome Congratulations and thank-you for accepting the challenge of becoming a Local Secretary. Your members have elected you because they have confidence in your ability to represent them and the Local. The thought of being a new member of the Local Executive Committee can be exciting and overwhelming at times. Please be assured that you are not expected to perform miracles and it is not assumed that you know everything about labour relations. This Local Secretaries Toolkit is designed to assist you in getting yourself organized so that you can focus your energies on the tasks that lie ahead. The materials in this kit have been drawn from a variety of sources including new Secretaries such as yourself. Every person who becomes a Local Secretary brings their own set of skills and experiences to the role. Some of the information in this kit might be familiar but some might not. We’ve tried to include enough information so that you can develop a comfort level fairly quickly. Always remember that you have other Local Executive Members, Stewards, OPSEU staff and your Executive Board Members that you can call on when you need assistance. This Local Secretaries Toolkit will provide you with the basics. 4 Job Description The Local Secretary is a vital position on the Local Executive Committee. The Local Secretary is the record keeper and distributer of information. Below is a list of expected duties: Oversee the healthy day-to-day operations of the LEC and the Local. Document decisions made by the LEC and the membership (minutes). Send out information to the LEC and the membership (e.g. notices, memos and bulletins) Maintain current information helpful to the LEC’s programs (e.g. membership info, participation in education, union and community resources) Note: Some Locals will also have a Membership Secretary that will have the exclusive function of looking after the Local membership list and updating members’ information. What the OPSEU Constitution Says 29.5.3 Secretary The Secretary shall attend all meetings of the Local and keep Minutes; distribute notices to all members of the Local, as required; answer and/or forward all pertinent correspondence; and forward all pertinent membership information to the appropriate union regional office. 29.2 Local Executive Committee 29.2.1 The Officers of the Local, together with the remaining Shop Stewards (in a Single-Unit Local) or Unit Stewards (in a Multi-Unit or Composite Local) shall constitute the Local