Pikes Peak Library Workers United Bylaws 

Article I. NAME. 

This union shall be known as Pikes Peak Library Workers United. 

Article II. MISSION. 

PPLWU unites the Pikes Peak Library District’s diverse workforce – including all part-time and full-time staff – to address the critical issues we all face. Our mission is to champion and defend the interests and well-being of all PPLD labor, as well as to build and sustain social and economic justice in our workplaces and in our communities. 

Article III. AFFILIATION. 

The union shall be affiliated with the Communications Workers of America (AFL–CIO) per the affiliation agreement signed [PENDING]. 

Article IV. JURISDICTION. 

The jurisdiction of the union shall be all workers of the Pikes Peak Library District, at any location, who are not already part of a union mandated by the laws of the State of Colorado, or otherwise excluded by these bylaws (see Article VII). 

Article V. STRUCTURE. 

The structure of the union shall consist of the following : 

(a) The Membership. 

(b) The Steering Committee. 

(c) PPLWU Officers. 

(d) Various Work Committees. 

Article VI. GOVERNING AUTHORITY.

The affairs of the union shall be governed by its membership in accordance with the Constitution and policies of CWA in the following manner: 

(a) Through action taken in membership meetings or by referendum of the membership. (b) Through actions and decisions of the Steering Committee between membership meetings. (c) Through actions of PPLWU Officers between meetings of the Steering Committee. 

Article VII. MEMBERSHIP. 

Section 1. Eligibility. 

(a) All workers within the union’s jurisdiction, except as otherwise excluded below, who support the union’s mission are eligible for membership, regardless of employer, craft, skill, age, race, gender, sexual orientation, religious or political beliefs or affiliation, disability, or immigration status. 

(b) Workers with disciplinary power over other workers are eligible for membership. Wherever possible, in the event of a dispute between union members that are supervisors/managers and regular employees, the dispute shall be mediated by a union member from another department of the library. Workers at the manager and director level in PPLD cannot hold leadership positions in PPLWU. 

Section 2. Admission to Membership. 

Membership in the union shall be obtained upon the approval of a Membership Committee authorized to accept or reject membership on behalf of the union, subject to the right of the membership to overrule the decision of the Membership Committee. 

Section 3. Retirement and Resignation. 

(a) Members in good standing who retire or otherwise leave public service employment may have their membership continue with minimum dues set at 0.25% of their monthly pay, but without voting rights. 

(b) A member may resign at any point by canceling their membership anddues. Section 4. Membership Meetings. 

(a) Membership meetings shall be held at least quarterly. The membership and Steering Committee shall have the power to call additional meetings as necessary (see subsection d) . 

(b) All decisions made in membership meetings shall be made by a method to which all present members consent (see Article XII) .

(c) The specific time and place of membership meetings shall be set by the Steering Committee. This power shall not be construed as allowing the Steering Committee to otherwise violate the spirit of these bylaws . 

(d) Special membership meetings may be called by the Steering Committee, or by petition of ten percent (10%) of the members, submitted to any member of the Steering Committee. The Steering Committee shall have fourteen (14) days to comply with this petition. 

Section 5. Membership data 

(a) Membership data shall include but is not limited to information collected on membership forms, through grievance processes, and interest lists. 

(b) Membership data shall be held in trust by PPLWU. 

(c) Membership data shall not be disclosed to any outside organization for any reason other than as required for administration of PPLWU. In the event that data must be disclosed for this reason, members shall be provided a transparent and up-to-date record of all such disclosures. 

(d) PPLWU’s Steering Committee and staff shall take all reasonable precautions to maintain the confidentiality of membership data. 

Section 6. Rights of Membership. 

(a) The membership shall have full power over all matters, including the election of Local Officers, setting the amount of Local monthly dues, and otherwise amending these Bylaws. This power may be exercised through (for example) motions conducted at membership meetings, or through referenda held outside of membership meetings. 

(b) The membership may at any time require from any union member or body a full and detailed statement of account of any action or business done in the name of the union. This statement may be requested at any membership meeting, or through referendum (see Article XIV), and with sufficient time given to prepare a thorough report. 

(c) No member(s), Local Officer(s), or staff may enter into any agreement in the name of the union without approval of the Steering Committee or the membership. This approval may be obtained either through referendum (see Article XIV) or membership meeting. 

(d) Members may bring concerns about the conduct of officers or other members to the attention of the Membership Committee by petition of no less than five (5) signatures. If these concerns cannot be handled through mediation, a special committee shall be formed to investigate and determine appropriate sanctions. 

Article VIII. LOCAL OFFICERS.

Section 1. Definition. 

The Officers of the union shall be Local President, Local Vice President, Local Treasurer, and Local Secretary. During the initial organizing period, the Officers will be part of a Steering Committee, to be elected by the membership, and will not have specific responsibilities. 

Section 2. Responsibilities. 

(a) PPLWU President shall serve as the primary contact person for the union, shall enforce these Bylaws, shall report all actions of the Steering Committee and Local Officers to the membership, and shall preside at all meetings of the union or arrange otherwise. 

(b) PPLWU Vice President shall assist PPLWU President, help coordinate activities throughout PPLWU, and perform the duties of PPLWU President in her/his/their absence. 

(c) PPLWU Treasurer shall be responsible for the maintenance of all bank accounts and for the account of all receipts and expenditures to the membership and Steering Committee in the form of monthly and annual financial reports and shall cause the proper filing of all reports or filings required by federal, state or local law. 

(d) PPLWU Secretary shall be responsible for the recording and distribution of the minutes of membership and Steering Committee meetings, for the maintenance of member and mailing lists and files, for furnishing the CWA District Vice-President and the International Secretary-Treasurer with copies of any changes to these Bylaws within ten (10) days after such changes are adopted, and for certifying PPLWU delegates to the CWA Convention to the International Secretary-Treasurer within the time limits specified in Article VIII of the CWA Constitution (https://cwa-union.org/for-locals/cwa-constitution). 

Section 3. Eligibility. 

Any member in good standing, who is not a manager or director of PPLD, shall be eligible for election as an Officer, however no member may serve in more than one (1) office. 

Article IX. NOMINATION AND ELECTION OF LOCAL OFFICERS. 

Section 1. Nomination. 

(a) The processes and deadlines of nominations shall be set by the Elections Committee. It is the responsibility of the nominating member(s) to ensure beforehand that each nominee has agreed to stand for the position for which they are being nominated.

(b) All members must be notified of the offices to be filled and the proper method of submitting nominations at least fifteen (15) days prior to the first union meeting scheduled during September of an election year. 

Section 2. Election. 

(a) The election of Local Officers shall be held during the month of [PENDING] of an election year. An election year shall be defined to be any year in which PPLWU must hold elections. The election shall be conducted by either a secret ballot vote of the membership or by mail or electronic mail referendum as decided by PPLWU Election Committee and upon approval of the Steering Committee. 

(b) Notice of elections (and referendum ballots when applicable) shall be sent to the last known email address of each member in good standing not less than fifteen (15) days prior to the date and time set for the return of the ballots. 

(c) Only members of the union in good standing shall be eligible to vote for Local Officers. (d) Elections for Local Officer or any other elected position shall be decided by approval voting. (e) The term of office shall be for one (1) year. 

(f) The term of office of outgoing Officers shall expire thirty (30) days after certification of the election results, by which time they shall have delivered all books, records, monies and property to the newly elected Officers. 

(g) The membership and/or Steering Committee shall have the power to define additional responsibilities for Officers as needed. 

(h) Officers shall serve in an administrative capacity only, with all the rights and responsibilities of membership, but no special authority over non-administrative matters. 

Section 3. Local Election Committee. 

(a) The nomination and election of Local Officers shall be conducted under the supervision of PPLWU Election Committee. This committee shall have the authority and responsibility to see that nominations and elections are conducted in accordance with federal law, the CWA Constitution and these Bylaws, with reasonable opportunity for each member to nominate and vote for the candidate of their choice. 

(b) PPLWU Election Committee shall also conduct any referenda submitted to the membership. 

(c) All questions concerning the conduct and challenges of elections shall be determined by PPLWU Election Committee, subject to the right of appeal to the governing body and membership of the union in accordance with Article XV of the CWA Constitution.

(d) The Election Committee shall be chosen by the Steering Committee from among the membership, and shall serve one year terms. Members of the Election Committee shall be chosen no later than the end of the previous committee’s term. Where possible, the Election Committee shall include no members of the Steering Committee and will appoint no member to the Steering Committee. 

Section 4. Resignation and Vacancies. 

(a) An Officer may resign in writing to PPLWU President or by verbal announcement at a Steering Committee meeting or membership meeting. 

(b) In the event of a vacancy in any office, whether due to resignation or other event, an election to fill said office shall be held at the next membership meeting. If this would result in the office being vacant for more than fourteen (14) days, a special meeting of the Steering Committee shall be held to appoint an interim officer who will serve until the next membership meeting. 

Article X. Steering Committee. 

Section 1. Definition. 

(a) The Steering Committee shall be a body of members that coordinates work, ensures that all decisions of the membership are carried out in a timely and effective manner, creates necessary work committees and temporary committees, and otherwise carries out the administration of the union between membership meetings. 

(b) The Steering Committee shall have no less than seven (7) and no more than nine (9) members including members at large, seats for which can be held open if the membership so chooses. 

(c) The Steering Committee shall act as the decision-making body of the union between membership meetings as long as its decisions follow the policies set by the membership and do not contradict these Bylaws. Its decisions will be subject to democratic mechanisms. For example, any decision can be transformed into a referendum at the request of a local member. Similarly, any decision can be rescinded by a majority vote of union members. These are provided as examples, and should not be construed as limiting the power of the membership over the Steering Committee. 

Section 2. Composition and Responsibilities. 

(a) The Steering Committee shall be composed of PPLWU Officers, committee representatives (one selected by each standing work committee), and further elected Board members as the membership decides. The rules for nominating and electing members to the Steering Committee shall be the same as apply to Local Officers. The term of office shall be the same as the term of office for Local Officers.

(b) In the event of a vacancy for any reason, the membership shall have the power to elect a new Board member by majority vote at any membership meeting to serve the remainder of the term. 

(c) The membership shall strive to elect members to the Steering Committee that reflect the diversity of the membership in all respects. Towards this end, the membership shall have the power to specify the number of Board members and from which work areas, geographic locations, and/or job classifications individual Board members may be elected. If the Steering Committee is in any manner insufficiently diverse, there will be a procedure to redress it. 

Section 3. Steering Committee Meetings. 

(a) The time and location of Steering Committee meetings shall be set by PPLWU President. (b) Special Steering Committee meetings may be called by a majority of its members. (c) The minutes of Steering Committee meetings shall be open to all members of the union. (d) All decisions of the Steering Committee shall be by majority vote of its members. 

(e) Steering Committee members may make motions and vote by electronic mail or telephone, provided all Steering Committee members have equivalent access to whatever means is employed and reasonable opportunity to vote on all motions. 

(f) PPLWU Secretary shall ensure that all actions and decisions of the Steering Committee and the votes of each member are reported to the membership in a timely manner. 

Article XI. DUES AND GOOD STANDING. 

Section 1. Monthly Dues. 

(a) Members shall pay monthly dues in an amount recommended by the Steering Committee and ratified by the membership. For non-employed workers (eg. those paid through stipend, or who are furloughed) dues rates may be set below this limit, where appropriate and consistent with the mission of the union. Dues rates are based on gross income, and are set at 0.577% of average monthly income and equal to pay for one hour of work for full time employees. This satisfies CWA policy that monthly dues must be no less than $15. 

(b) Members who are retired shall pay a lower rate than members who are employed full time. Their dues are set at 0.25% of their total monthly pay, even if this is below the monthly minimum for full-time employees. This can be modified at the discretion of PPLWU. Decisions about part-time employees are at the discretion of the Steering Committee.

(c) Members who are temporarily unemployed due to injury, illness, downsizing, privatization, or a suspension or termination that is being appealed shall have their obligation to pay monthly dues suspended. 

Section 2. Good Standing. 

(a) A member in good standing is one whose dues are not more than sixty (60) days in arrears. 

(b) Members in default without good cause for ninety (90) days, after notice in writing by PPLWU Secretary, shall be automatically dropped from membership. Good cause shall be defined by the Steering Committee. 

Article XII. CONDUCT OF MEETINGS AND LOCAL BUSINESS. 

Section 1. Conduct of Business. 

Membership meetings and any other meeting of union members to conduct union business shall be conducted under these Bylaws and rules of the union and in conformity with the CWA Constitution. It is recommended, but not required, that membership meetings proceed following Robert’s Rules of Order. Regardless of choice of conduct protocol, clear guidelines of meeting protocol should be established, and periodically distributed or explained to membership. 

Section 2. Due Notice. 

Due notice of at least seven (7) days must be given prior to any member meeting. Section 3. Quorums. 

(a) The number constituting a quorum for all membership meetings shall be thirty percent (30%) of current membership. 

(b) A majority of the members of a work committee shall be the quorum for those bodies. 

Article XIII. RECALL OF LOCAL OFFICERS AND STEERING COMMITTEE MEMBERS. 

Section 1. Recall of Local Officers. 

Any elected Officer of the union may be recalled in accordance with the provisions of Articles XXI, Section 2, and XXII, Section 8, of the Union Constitution. A recall petition must be preferred by twenty percent (20%) of the membership. After reaching the 20% threshold, the recall

petition should be submitted to any member of PPLWU Officers or the Steering Committee, and a recall election must be held within thirty (30) days. Recall elections must be held by secret ballot and will be decided by a two-thirds majority vote. A recall election must be open for at least seven (7) days, and members must be notified of the election ten (10) days prior to the election start date. 

Section 2. Recall of Steering Committee Members. 

Steering Committee members may be recalled by the same process described in Section 1 of this Article. 

Article XIV. REFERENDUM. 

A union-wide referendum on any organizational question must be initiated by PPLWU Election Committee when directed to do so by the Steering Committee, or by the membership through a petition of ten percent (10%) of the members. Questions submitted for referendum shall be decided by majority vote of those voting on the question. The Election Committee shall conduct referenda no later than twenty-one (21) days after receiving direction to do so by the Steering Committee or membership. 

Article XV. FINANCES. 

Section 1. Fiscal Year. 

The PPLWU fiscal year shall run from July 1 to June 30. 

Section 2. Bank Accounts. 

All bank accounts shall be in the name of the union and shall bear the signatures of PPLWU President, Local Treasurer, and up to two others designated by the Steering Committee. 

Section 3. Allocation of Funds. 

The Steering Committee and Local Officers shall be responsible for allocating funds according to budgets ratified by the membership. The membership, Steering Committee, or any committee may request a full account of all receipts and expenditures from any member or body of members. 

Section 4. Yearly Audit. 

At the end of each fiscal year, the finances of PPLWU shall be audited by a committee of three (3) members chosen by the membership.

Article XVI. AMENDMENTS. 

(a) These Bylaws may be amended by either: 

(i) referendum of the membership, OR 

(ii) by majority vote of the members present in a membership meeting, provided: (1) the proposed amendment has been introduced at a previous membership meeting OR 

(2) the proposed amendment has been advertised by the use of a union newsletter at least 7 days in advance of the date voting takes place OR 

(3) the proposed amendment has been advertised by US mail, postage prepaid at least 7 days in advance of the date voting takes place 

(b) The Steering Committee will convene a meeting annually to reconsider these bylaws 

Revised 3/26/2023 by the Bylaws Committee