Convention
Update
8/13/08 - Wednesday
• Day three of the Mail Handlers National Convention began with a run off election for the position of Western regional Vice-President. The Delegates were tasked with voting between three candidates for this office on the National Executive Board. As I stated yesterday the Delegates running for this office were as follows: Western Regional Vice-President and President of Local 320 Rudy Santos, Delegate and Branch President from Local 303, Eddy Cowan and Delegate from Local 302’s Dot Henderson. The Delegates vote as a body in a primary election and the two Candidates who receive the majority of votes run in an election for the office within their respective region.
• When the Delegates convened on the Convention floor the invocation was delivered by Jeff James, Local 300.
• The Delegates then turned to what I consider the “meat and potatoes” of the convention, the recommendations for amendments to the Articles of our National Constitution. These Articles may be amended only by a 2/3rds vote of the Delegates on the Convention floor. Proposals were required to be submitted 30 days prior to the start of this Convention. This portion of the Convention may result in changes to our National and Local Constitution. It governs everything pertaining to the conduct of business in our National and Local Unions from how to join the Union to the amount of dues which will be paid by members, to how to conduct local and National elections. The Constitution Committee reviews the proposals to change our constitution and then provides its recommendations to the Delegates. The Committee makes these recommendations only after careful scrutiny, debate and often even seeks advice from the Department of Labor before any changes are recommended. Each and every change must be submitted to the Delegates and voted upon before it may be entered into the record and the Constitution changed. This part of the Convention often results in spirited debate, points of order, and inquiry by the Delegates on the Convention floor, as the rules of the Convention allow for proper debate over each amendment by Delegates properly certified by the Credentials Committee. There are four microphones designated by number 1, 2, 3, 4 with mike # 1 and 3 being designated as "for a proposal" while mikes #2 and 4 are designated as "against a proposal". Delegates must go to the mikes and be recognized by National President/Convention Chair John Hegarty, state their name and Local number before speaking for or against each proposal.
• The Delegates completed the first part of the changes/recommendations to the National Constitution and when we reconvene tomorrow we will continue with the second portion of our National Constitution. If you have looked at your Constitution you will see that it is in two parts. The first part pertains to the conduct of the National Union, while the second part pertains to the conduct of the Local Union.
• The day ended with the Elections Committee Results as follows: President Rudy Santos 1,590.48 votes, Delegate Dot Henderson 120.72 votes and Branch President Eddy Cowan 112.59 votes. This means that President Santos will run against Delegate Dot Henderson for the office of Western Regional Vice-President to be conducted in the fall of this year.
Ace Balderrama
State Executive Board Member
Mail Handlers, Local 320