Constitution

Northern Spirit Local #6

Name
1. The name of this local shall be Northern Spirit local association of The Alberta Teachers' Association.

Boundaries
2. The area served by this local association shall include Peace Wapiti Regional Division No 33.

Membership
3. (1) All active members of The Alberta Teachers' Association employed within the boundaries listed in section 2 are members of this local.
(2) Associate members of The Alberta Teachers' Association such as are assigned from time to time by the Provincial Executive Council of the Association and who pay the prescribed local association fee may become members of this local association with all rights and privileges of active members.

Objects
4. The objects of this local association shall be to further the objects of The Alberta Teachers' Association as set out in section 4 of the Teaching Profession Act and ATA General Bylaws.

Fees
5. This local association shall have the power, subject to approval of the Provincial Executive Council of The Alberta Teachers' Association, to levy fees for membership in this local association such as are determined from time to time in a general meeting of the local association. Such fees shall be additional to the fees prescribed by the Annual Representative Assembly.

Rules of Procedure
6. The proceedings of all meetingsCgeneral, special, local council and executive committee shall be regulated by the official Rules of Order and Procedure as published in the Members' Handbook.

Organization
7. The governing body of this local shall be a general meeting of its members, ten percent (10%) of whom shall constitute a quorum.
8. A general meeting of this local shall be held at least once a year to hear reports and deal with same, hold elections, approve and set policy and deal with such other matters as may arise.

Local Council
9. There shall be constituted a local council of this local consisting of:
(a) all members of the executive committee,
(b) school representatives, other than executive committee members, elected in September by each staff according to the following schedule: one representative for each school,
(c) if there are sublocals, then the presidents of sublocals who shall be excluded from being school representatives,
(d) ARA representatives if not members of the executive committee,
(e) a representative of the substitute teacher group,
(f) chair of standing committees if not members of the executive committee, ARA representatives or school representatives,
(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, 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, where appropriate, to the ATA Summer Conference and to other events requiring local representation on an ad hoc basis,
(f) to deal with other matters not inconsistent with this constitution or ATA General Bylaws.

12. The local council shall meet once per month or as often as local business requires.
13. A majority vote of those present shall govern the decisions of the local council unless rules and regulations otherwise decree.
14. Sixty percent (60%) of local council members are required to constitute a quorum.

Executive Committee
15. The executive committee of this local shall consist of: president, vice-president, past president, secretary, treasurer, a communications officer and chairs of standing committees.
16. The duty of the local executive committee shall be:
(a) to prepare the agenda of business for all meetings,
(b) to exercise general supervision of the affairs of the local association,
(c) 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,
(d) to ensure that all Association moneys are used to further the objects of the Association as set out in the Teaching Profession Act,
(e) to ensure that there is liaison between the local and all employing boards within the local and,
(f) where time is of the essence, to assume the functions of the local council.

Action taken on behalf of the local council in this manner shall be reported to the local council at its next regular meeting.
17. The executive committee shall meet as often as local business requires.

Notice of Meetings
18. Notices of intent to hold a general, special, local council or an executive meeting shall be distributed by the secretary at least seven 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 of any bargaining unit(s) within 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 chair of the economic policy committee or representative(s) of the REPC, as applicable, 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,
(c) to serve as a local representative to representative assemblies,
(d) to be an ex-officio member of all committees of local council.
(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 administer the local's bursaries.
(4) Past-President - The duties of the past-president shall be:
(a)to assume the functions of the president, until such time as a new officer is elected, upon the resignation of the president and vice-president.
(b)To advise the local council on continuing issues for a term of one year
(5) Secretary - The duties of the secretary shall be:
(a) to keep accurate records of all proceedings of this local association,
(b) to bring before the executive committee of this local association all communications received by the local,
(c) to prepare and send to The Alberta Teachers' Association such statements and reports as may be required from time to time,
(d) to prepare and send notices calling all meetings, whether regular, special, local council or executive committee.
(e) to maintain up to date copies of the local's constitution, programs and policies.
(6) Treasurer - The duties of the treasurer shall be:
(a) to prepare at the direction of the executive committee, an annual budget for the local,
(b) to keep accurate records of all moneys received and collected and to take charge of same,
(c) to prepare an annual financial statement for audit purposes, and to present said audited annual financial statement to a meeting of local council within three months of the end of the local's fiscal year,
(d) to make the necessary disbursements of the funds of this local association as authorized by the executive committee or local council,
(e) to prepare and send to The Alberta Teachers' Association such financial statements and reports as are required.
(7) ARA Representatives - The duties of each ARA 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 as required,
(d) to attend general meetings of this local association.
(8) School Representatives - The duty of the school representatives shall be to report on the activities of the local council to their respective staffs and subsequently bring forth and represent teacher concerns.
(9) 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) - The duties of the EPC committee(s) shall be to gather and study data, consult with members of the bargaining unit, prepare proposed amendments to the collective agreement for consideration by members of the bargaining unit(s) affected and be responsible for the collective bargaining process.
(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 employing school board.
(3) Professional Development Committee - The duty of this committee shall be to assume general responsibility for all professional development activities undertaken by this local association.
(4) Teacher-Board Liaison Committee - The duty of this committee shall be to meet with representatives of the Peace Wapiti Regional Division #33 in order to discuss non-contractual issues.
(5) Political Action Committee - The duty of this committee shall be to initiate and facilitate all political action deemed appropriate by local council.
(6) Such other committees as the local may form from time to time.

Convention Association Representatives
24. (1) Two representatives are appointed each year, to a maximum of four representatives on the Board. Representatives are appointed for a two-year term to ensure alternating vacancies and continuity of representation.
(2) The duties of the local 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,
d) to serve as the communication link between the local and the convention association representatives, who report to local.

Elections
25. (1) The president, vice-president, secretary, treasurer, local officer, professional development committee chair, ARA representatives, teacher-board liaison chair and political action committee chair shall be elected annually not later than June 30 by a vote of the members of this local.
(2) Each bargaining unit within the local shall elect an economic policy chair subject to its frame of reference.
(3) All persons elected under subsection (1) shall assume office on July 1 following
(4) A vacancy on the executive committee or any standing committee occurring between annual elections shall be filled by appointment of a member of this local association by local council.

Sublocals
26. A group of members of this local may petition the local council to be established as a sublocal of the local. A two-thirds vote of the local council is required to create a new sublocal.
27. Each sublocal shall operate under a constitution which must be approved by the local council and ratified by the Provincial Executive Council of The Alberta Teachers' Association.
28. The powers and duties of each sublocal shall be as shown in its constitution.

Substitute Teacher's Group
29. (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 twelve-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,
© 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
30. The financial year of this local shall be July 1 to June 30.

31. This local association shall pay all expenses to members acting on its behalf as determined by its Programs & Policies and/or authorized by the local council.

32. 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.

Previous versions:
Ratified by Provincial Executive Council (PEC) 1994 12 03
Amendments ratified by TOC on behalf of PEC, 1995 06 26.

This version submitted to PEC June 2003.