CWA Appoints a Prosecutor Over General Membership Meeting

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The CWA Constitution and the Local 1101 By-Laws allow Members the right to appeal decisions of their Local Executive Board. Two Members filed charges against the Local Executive Board over the procedure at our November 23rd General Membership Meeting.

The agenda for the November 23rd General Membership Meeting included an explanation of the current By-Laws change proposal, which was conducted on January 13, 2011. The Local has not changed the By-Laws since 1983, and we wanted to ensure the meeting would be conducted in the most transparent way possible. We sought guidance from the Local’s attorney as well as the National Union. We requested a parliamentarian for the meeting and were provided by CWA with a list of four Arbitrators from which to choose.

The Local chose Arbitrator Arthur Riegel to serve as the Parliamentarian and instructed him of the time and place for the General Membership Meeting.  Mr. Riegel was provided with copies of our By-Laws and the CWA Constitution. The Executive Board met Mr. Riegel approximately 30 minutes before the start of the meeting. No one on the Executive Board had ever met Mr. Riegel prior to the November 23rd meeting. The purpose of Parliamentary Procedure is to:

  • Ensure majority rule
  • Protect the rights of the minority, the absentees and individual members
  • Provide order, fairness and decorum
  • Facilitate the transaction of business and expedite meetings

We sought the help of an arbitrator who had no ties to our Local or the National Union to be the Parliamentarian.

At the General Membership Meeting, a motion was made and passed unanimously to conduct a vote on the current By-Laws. The motion to have the By-Laws voted upon individually was adopted and the election was eventually conducted by the (AAA) American Arbitration Association.

Members have a right to appeal decisions, and the National Union has an obligation to adhere to the CWA Constitution. The Local will cooperate with the investigation and provide all documentation requested by the CWA prosecutor.

A Member’s right to vote in the privacy of their home on issues that affect their union, which ultimately affects their livelihood, is sacrosanct.   We believe our By-Laws are clear on this issue and we believe the Membership Meeting was conducted in accordance with the CWA Constitution and our By-Laws. Nothing should ever overturn the decision of the entire Membership.