UMRFA Constitution Provisions Regarding Duties of the Executive Board and its Officers
Article V - OFFICERS
Section 1: Duties of the President
The President shall:
A. be the presiding officer at all meetings of the membership, the Executive Board;
B. be an ex-officio member of all standing committees except the Elections Committee;
C. appoint, with the approval of the Executive Board, the chairs of all standing and special committees except the Elections Committee;
D. be the principal executive officer of the organization;
E. Together with the secretary, receive, report, and respond to correspondence of the organization;
F. supervise all employees of the organization;
G. be one of the responsible financial officers of the organization and shall be authorized to co-sign financial instruments and make regular and usual disbursements of funds;
H. represent the organization before the bodies of the employer, executive, and legislative officials;
I. represent the organization before the public, community organizations, and the news media;
J. be, by office, a delegate to the Maryland State & DC AFL-CIO and the Metropolitan Baltimore AFL-CIO Central Labor Council;
K. be, by office, a delegate to the convention of the American Federation of Teachers, and meetings or conventions of its affiliated bodies;
L. make an annual report to the organization's membership; and
M. be able to delegate the responsibilities of the office except where otherwise specified by the Constitution.
Section 2: Duties of the Vice President
The Vice President shall:
A. assume the duties of the President in the event of the absence, illness, or death of the President;
B. oversee and assist the Representatives in their duties;
C. oversee the work of and receive regular reports from the Organizing and Leadership Development Committees;
D. co-sign financial instruments in the absence of the President or Treasurer and
E. perform other duties as delegated by the President or assigned by the Executive Board;
Section 3: Duties of the Secretary
The Secretary Shall:
A. maintain the non-financial files and records of the organization;
B. be the custodian of the seal and charter of the organization;
C. record and keep accurate minutes of meetings of the membership and the Executive Board;
D. assist the President in handling the correspondence of the organization;
E. oversee the work of, and receive and certify the reports of, the Elections Committee;
F. perform duties of the office as required by the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act; and
G. perform other duties as delegated by the President or assigned by the Executive Board;
Section 4: Duties of the Treasurer
The Treasurer shall:
A. receive, record, and deposit all dues monies and other income in the name of the organization;
B. maintain accurate membership records;
C. issue membership cards and notices of delinquency;
D. be one of the responsible financial officers of the organization and be authorized to co-sign financial instruments and make regular and usual disbursements of funds;
E. maintain all financial records of the organization;
F. arrange for an independent audit of the finances of the organization annually and make the same available to the Executive Board and membership;
G. transmit per-capita payments on a regular basis to the Secretary-Treasurer of the American Federation of Teachers and similar officers of all other bodies with which the organization is affiliated;
H. oversee the work of and receive reports from the Finance Committee;
I. perform duties of the office as required by the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act, and the guidelines developed by the AFT; and
J. perform other duties as delegated by the President or assigned by the Executive Board.
Section 5: Duties of the Communications Chair
The Communications Chair shall:
A. coordinate social media publishing and strategy;
B. update the official website of the organization;
C. shall regularly prepare materials to communicate to the unit about union-related events and updates;
D. create promotional and informational materials for events and awareness; and
E. perform other duties as delegated by the President or assigned by the Executive Board.
Section 6: Duties of the Representatives
The Representatives shall:
A. represent their respective constituency or, if at-large representatives, the organization; and
B. perform other duties as delegated by the President or assigned by the Executive Board.
Article VI - EXECUTIVE BOARD
Section 1: Duties of the Executive Board
The Executive Board shall:
A. meet monthly, or at the call of the President, or at the call of two (2) or more of its members, for the purpose of initiating, overseeing, or revising the program of the organization and to conduct other business of the organization that is within its authority. A quorum for the Executive Board shall be one-half (1/2) of its members;
B. with the assistance of the Treasurer, prepare and present for approval to the general membership body an annual budget in the month prior to the beginning of the fiscal year, which shall be established by the Executive Board;
C. employ all professional, technical, clerical, and support staff of the organization;
D. establish the salary, benefits, and expense guidelines of any general officer who is employed by the organization;
E. be empowered to make contracts and incur liabilities, including the purchase of services, equipment, and real property, to borrow money, to secure such obligations by mortgage or other instruments, and to otherwise engage in financial transactions to the extent permitted by applicable law or statute;
F. have the power to sue, complain, and defend on behalf of the membership;
G. approve the chairperson and membership of all standing and special committees of the organization, except the Elections Committee, and receive regular reports from such committees;
H. be responsible for adherence to and enforcement of the Constitution of the organization;
I. issue regular reports, including an annual report, to the membership;
J. establish guidelines for appointing/electing union stewards as representatives for their respective programs.
Section 2: Absences of Members of the Executive Board
Individual officers shall communicate absences and reasons for absence from Executive Board meetings with the President, Vice President, or Secretary. Three (3) unexcused absences from an Executive Board meeting within an officer’s term shall be grounds for an Executive Board member’s suspension and/or replacement. Pursuant to Article IV, Section 6, Subsection O, the Executive Board shall have the authority to appoint a member to take the seat of an Executive Board member who was suspended or replaced under the terms of this Section. If the seat of a Surgical Specialty Representative, Midtown Representative, or Fellow Representative becomes vacant due to unexcused absence, it must be replaced by a member from the same constituency.