Constitution Article 11

Article 11 ‐ National Officer Elections

Section 1

Eligibility: To be eligible to run for a position on the National Executive Board, an individual must have been a member in continuous good standing for a period of two (2) years preceding the date a Convention is scheduled to be convened (subject to the waiver for active military duty specified in the second paragraph of Article V, Section 1 of the Uniform Local Union Constitution, as determined by the Election Committee supervising the election of National Officers and, if necessary, the delegates acting in accordance with the last sentence of Section 2(a) of this Article), must be working at the calling as defined in Article V, § 2 of the Uniform Local Union Constitution, and s/he cannot have been employed in a supervisory or managerial capacity by the Postal Service (including any EAS position involved in discipline of employees or application of the National Agreement) for any time during that period, or by the USPS Office of Inspector General or the Postal Inspection Service (including as a confidential informant) for any time during that period. In addition, to be eligible to run for election as a Regional Vice President, the member must have been a member in good standing of Local Union(s) within that Region during the two‐year period.

Section 2

Nominations/Primary Elections: (a) Candidates for National Union office shall be nominated at the National Convention. A delegate may not nominate more than one (1) candidate for each office. A candidate shall not be entitled to simultaneously run for more than one office in this National Union. Any disputes concerning a candidate’s eligibility shall be resolved by the Convention. (b) In the event more than two candidates are nominated for any position on the National Executive Board, a primary election shall be conducted wherein each Convention delegate will be eligible to cast one vote by secret ballot for any candidate for each position, and the two candidates receiving the most votes for each position shall be nominated. Delegates voting in the primary election shall cast weighted votes reflecting the entire number of votes to which their Local Union is entitled.

Section 3

Election Committee: Elections of National officers shall be supervised by a 3‐person Election Committee whose members shall be elected by secret ballot at the National Convention preceding the election. To be eligible to serve on the Election Committee, a member must meet the same qualifications for holding the office of National President, except that s/he shall not be a candidate for national office, and s/he shall not actively campaign for or actively support any candidate for national office. Each delegate shall be entitled to vote for three candidates for the Election Committee and the three candidates receiving the most votes shall comprise the Committee. Delegates shall be entitled to cast weighted votes reflecting the entire number of votes to which their Local Union is entitled for three candidates for the Election Committee, and the three candidates receiving the most votes shall comprise the Committee. The Election Committee shall meet immediately after the conclusion of the Convention and adopt and transmit to all candidates reasonable rules to govern the conduct of the election. The Committee shall be responsible for ensuring the integrity of the election process and for resolving all election protests. Its members shall receive $450 per diem, plus expenses, when meeting to perform its official functions. The Committee shall be guided by the principle of maximum voter participation in a free, fair, open, democratic election process.

Section 4

Elections: (a) Elections shall be conducted among all regular members in good standing voting by secret ballot. Ballots shall be printed and mailed to members’ last‐known home addresses by the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”), or by another similar organization chosen by the Election Committee supervising the election of National officers (“another similar organization”), between 30 and 40 days after the conclusion of the Convention. All ballots returned by eligible voters to the secure location determined by the AAA or by another similar organization within 30 days after the initial mailing shall be counted by the AAA or by another similar organization. (b) All regular members in good standing who are employed by the U.S. Postal Service or by any other employer with operations directly or indirectly related to postal and mail handling or by the National Postal Mail Handlers Union or an affiliated organization shall be eligible to vote. (c) The ballots shall be collected and counted by the AAA or by another similar organization promptly after the voting deadline has passed. Each candidate and one or, if necessary, more observer(s) named by the candidate shall be entitled to be present during all phases of the preparation, mailing, and counting of ballots and to challenge ballots. All ballots shall be accounted for and retained, together with other records pertaining to the election, for a period of 12 months following the election. (d) Those candidates who receive a majority of the votes cast by eligible voters shall be declared the winners and shall be installed in office by the LIUNA General President or his/her designee within 72 hours of the conclusion of the ballot count. The newly elected officers will be administered the following oath of office. I, ___________ , do solemnly pledge on my honor to recognize and comply with all of the provisions of the Constitution of the National Postal Mail Handlers Union, a Division of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, AFL‐CIO, and with all rules, regulations, policies, practices, and decisions adopted in furtherance of the administration of the Mail Handlers Union and to honestly and faithfully perform my duties for and on behalf of the membership of this Union.

Section 5

Campaigning: (a) No Union funds shall be expended, directly or indirectly, to promote or oppose any candidate for Union office. No Union facilities, equipment, stationery, supplies, or the seal and insignia of the National Union or any Local modification thereof may be used to further any candidacy. No appointed employee, agent, or elected officer shall be required to support the candidacy of any individual or slate. (b) Each candidate shall be entitled to inspect the list containing the names and last‐known addresses of all regular members employed by the Postal Service (or other employers) once within the 30‐day period preceding the mailing of the ballots. The right to inspect shall not include the right to copy, but does include the right to compare the list with any personal list of members. (c) The National Union shall be required to honor the reasonable requests of candidates or slates of candidates to send uncensored campaign mailings at her/his or their expense utilizing any special mailing privileges available to the National Union. All candidates shall be treated equally with respect to the expense of such mailings which shall not exceed the actual cost of the mailings incurred by the National Union. (d) A Special Election Publication, printed at Union expense, shall accompany each ballot mailed to eligible voters. It shall contain factual information concerning election/voting procedures together with any photographs and/or statements not exceeding 300 words that are furnished to the Election Committee at the National Headquarters by the candidates no later than 10 days prior to the scheduled date on which the ballots are to be mailed. Any group of candidates running as a slate shall be entitled to be identified on the ballot as members of a designated slate provided that notice is given by each such candidate no later than 10 days prior to the scheduled date on which the ballots are to be mailed.

Section 6

Election Protests: Any regular member shall be entitled to file an election protest with the Election Committee within fifteen (15) days following the installation of the newly elected officers. The protest shall specify the nature and details of the conduct alleged to have violated this Constitution, any election rules, or applicable laws or regulations. The Election Committee shall promptly cause copies of all protests to be served on all interested candidates together with a Notice of Hearing to be conducted not less than 15 days, nor more than 30 days after issuance of the notice. The Notice of Hearing shall specify any rules that will govern the conduct of the hearing. The Election Committee shall issue its decision within 15 days after the conclusion of the hearing.