(b) school representatives, other than executive committee members, elected in September by each staff according to the following schedule: one for each 25 teachers or major fraction thereof on the staff;

(c) one representative elected by the combined staff of all schools that have four or fewer teachers;

(d) local representatives if not members of the executive committee;

(e) one representative of the substitute teacher group;

(f) chair of standing committees if not members of the executive committee, local representatives or school representatives; and

(g) convention representatives if not included in (a) to (f).

10. Members of this local other than members of the local council may attend council meetings and may speak with approval of the meeting, but may not vote.

11. The duties of the local council shall be

(a) to administer the affairs of the local association, including adoption of an audited annual financial statement and approval of an annual budget;

(b) to elect all ad hoc committees;

(c) to approve frames of reference for each of its committees;

(d) to hear reports from committees and decide on action to be taken, if any;

(e) to elect or appoint representatives to the district convention association at least one of whom must be a member of the local professional development committee;

(f) to elect representatives, where appropriate, to the ATA Summer Conference and to other events requiring local representation on an ad hoc basis; and

(g) to deal with other matters not inconsistent with this constitution or ATA General Bylaws.

12. The local council shall meet once a month during the school operating year or as business requires. Additional meetings may be called by the president, or at the request of a majority of voting members of the executive or 10 per cent of the membership.

13. A majority vote of those present shall govern the decisions of the local council unless rules and regulations otherwise decree.

Executive committee

14. The executive committee of this local shall consist of president, vice-president, past president, secretary-treasurer.

15. It shall be the duty of the executive committee to prepare the agenda of business for all meetings, to exercise general supervision of the affairs of the local association; to prepare and transmit to head office of The Alberta Teachers’ Association such reports and statements with reference to the affairs of the local association as may be required by the Provincial Executive Council of The Alberta Teachers’ Association; to ensure that all Association moneys are used to further the objects of the Association as set out in the Teaching Profession Act; to ensure that there is liaison between the local and all employing boards within the local; and, when time is of the essence, to assume the functions of the local council.

16. The executive committee shall meet as often as local business requires.

Meetings

17. No meeting shall conduct business unless a quorum of members is in attendance.

Quorum

(a) for local executive members shall be a majority of those eligible to attend

(b) for local council meetings shall be a majority of those eligible to attend

(c) for general meetings and bargaining unit meetings shall be 10 per cent of those eligible to attend

18. Notices of intent to hold a general, special, local council or executive committee meeting shall be provided to an authorized representative at each school or worksite by the secretary at least five days before such meeting is to be held, and such notices shall include an outline or agenda of business to be discussed at the meeting, provided, however, that any meeting may, by a two-thirds vote of the total number of members on the roster, waive notice of a meeting or of any motion brought before the meeting.

19. Meetings of this local association or the economic policy committee of the local shall be called by the president, or on the request of the executive committee or the local council, or on the written request of 10 members of the local, or at the request of the representative(s) to the economic policy committee, or at the request of an officer of The Alberta Teachers’ Association or of the district representative of whose district this local association forms a part.

20. A record shall be kept of all those attending general, special, local council and executive committee meetings of this local.

21. An officer of The Alberta Teachers’ Association or district representative of whose district this local forms a part may attend and participate in any meeting (general, council or executive) of this local association.

Duties of officers

22. (1) An ATA officer shall not vote. A district representative shall not vote except at a general meeting of a local of which the representative is a member.

(2) President: The duties of the president shall be

(a) to call and preside at all general, local council and executive committee meetings of this local association;

(b) to exercise general supervision over the affairs of this local association; and

(c) to serve as a local representative to representative assemblies.

(3) Vice-president: The duties of the vice-president shall be

(a) to take charge of the affairs of this local association in the absence of the president,

(b) to assist the president in the discharge of duties and

(c) to act as communications officer.

(4) Past President: The duties of the past president shall be

(a) to render assistance to the executive committee and

(b) to serve as a local representative to representative assemblies in the absence of the president.

(5) Secretary-Treasurer: The duties of the secretary-treasurer shall be

(a) to keep accurate records of all proceedings of this local association;

(b) to prepare at the direction of the executive committee, an annual budget for the local;

(c) to keep accurate records of all moneys received and collected and to take charge of same;

(d) to prepare an annual financial statement for audit purposes;

       (e) to bring before the executive committee of this local association all communications received by the local;

(f) to make the necessary disbursements of the funds of this local association as authorized by the executive committee or local council;

(g) to prepare and send to The Alberta Teachers’ Association such statements and reports as may be required from time to time; and

(h) to prepare and send notices calling all meetings, whether regular, special, local council or executive committee.

(6) Local Representatives: The duties of each local representative of this local association shall be

(a) to represent this local association at all representative assemblies of The Alberta Teachers’ Association,

(b) to report the proceedings of all representative assemblies to the local council and to such other gatherings as may be decided,

(c) to attend meetings of the local council of this local association and

(d) to attend general meetings of this local association.

(7) School Representatives: The duty of the school representatives shall be to report on the activities of the local council to their respective staffs and such other duties as are requested by the local council or the provincial Association.

(8) Communications Officer: It shall be the responsibility of this officer to carry out a communications program with the teachers in the local and between the local and its various publics. All actions of this officer shall be subject to prior approval by the executive of the local involved.

Committees

23. (1) Economic Policy Committee (EPC): There shall be an EPC for each employing jurisdiction in the local. Each EPC shall operate under a frame of reference approved by the local council and subject to ratification by the Provincial Executive Council of the Association. An amendment procedure shall be specified in the frame of reference.

(2) Negotiating Subcommittee: The negotiating subcommittee shall be chosen from and by the economic policy committee. It shall be the duty of this subcommittee to engage in collective bargaining with the board of trustees as per the EPC frame of reference.

(3) Local Communications Committee: The duty of this committee shall be to render all assistance required by the communications officer to facilitate both internal and external communications.

(4) Professional Development Committee: The duty of this committee shall be to assume general responsibility for all professional development activities undertaken by this local association.

(5) Audit Committee: The duty of this committee shall be to present an audited annual financial statement to a meeting of local council within three months of the end of the local’s fiscal year. This committee may be replaced by an independent auditor approved by the executive council.

(6) Medicine Hat Catholic School-Based Administrators’ Committee: The duties of this committee shall be to study, discuss and make recommendations to local council to achieve and maintain high educational standards regarding administrative and supervisory matters of common interest to our Catholic schools and their culture and to provide collegial support for fellow administrators. This committee shall also elect a representative to the teacher board advisory committee.

24. Convention Association Representatives: The duties of the convention association representatives shall be

(a) to ensure the local receives the annual budget and the audited financial statement of the convention association,

(b) to represent the local on the convention board,

(c) to liaise with the local professional development committee and

(d) to serve as the communication link between the local and the convention association.

Elections

25. (1) The president, vice-president, secretary-treasurer, local communications committee, professional development committee and local representatives shall be elected annually by a vote of the members of this local.

(2) Each bargaining unit within the local shall elect an economic policy committee.

(3) All persons elected under subsection (1) shall assume office on July 1 following their election.

(3.1) All persons elected under subsection (2) shall assume office immediately following their election or as otherwise specified in the EPC frame of reference.

(3.2) Convention association representatives shall be elected in the number prescribed by the convention association to assume duties not later than April 1 of each year.

(4) A vacancy on the executive committee occurring between annual elections shall be filled by election of a member of this local association by the remaining members of the executive committee.

(5) Should one or more of the local representatives be unable to fulfill his or her term of office, replacements shall be elected by the local council.

Sublocals

26. Each sublocal shall operate under a constitution that must be approved by the local council and ratified by the Provincial Executive Council of The Alberta Teachers’ Association.

27. The powers and duties of each sublocal shall be as shown in its constitution.

Substitute teachers group

28. (1) At the request of 10 or more substitute teacher members, this local shall organize a substitute teacher group.

(2) Those eligible for participation in the group shall be members who substituted for one of the employing jurisdictions included in the local for at least one day during the previous 12-month period.

(3) An appropriate budget for the group shall be established.

(4) The frame of reference for the group shall be as follows:

(a) Its objects shall be to advance the professional skills and knowledge unique to substitute teaching, and to advance within the local the special interests of substitute teachers.

(b) It shall have at least one general meeting per year.

(c) It shall elect a chair, a vice-chair, a secretary-treasurer, and two members-at-large to an executive which shall be responsible for organizing activities to promote the objects of the group.

(d) Its executive shall present to the local an annual report of its activities and of the disbursement of its funds.

General

29. The financial year of this local shall be July 1 to June 30.

30. (1) This local association shall reimburse members acting on its behalf for all necessary out-of-pocket expenses.

(2) This local association shall pay all expenses as determined and authorized by the local council.

31. Amendments to this constitution may be made after a two-month notice of motion by a two-thirds vote at a general meeting of this local association, subject to ratification by the Provincial Executive Council of The Alberta Teachers’ Association.

Ratified by Provincial Executive Council 2001 06 12.

Amendments ratified by TOC on behalf of PEC 2007 01 12