Local 26 Executive Board
The September General Membership meeting is a busy one for Local 26. It’s when we set officers’ salaries for the upcoming term, nominate candidates for all offices in the Executive Board, and a Judge and Tellers are appointed for the election. Since quite a few new members have joined us since the last regular election, I thought I’d explain the various offices and their duties so all of us can make an informed decision when we choose to nominate someone or second a nomination, and then of course when we vote.
The Executive Board of Local 26 is led by the President, and consists of a Business Agent, Secretary-Treasurer, three Vice Presidents, a Recording Secretary/Sergeant-at-Arms, and a Member-at-Large. Also elected are three trustees. These are all three-year terms, with nominations held in September of each year.
If only one person is nominated for an office (and accepts) that person is automatically installed in that office the following January. If two candidates are nominated for an office, they are both placed on the ballot. If three or more candidates are nominated for an office, the Local holds a primary election; if one person gets 51% or more of the vote in the primary, that person is decreed the winner and will be installed in that office the following January. If none of the candidates receive 51% or better of the vote, then the top two candidates will be placed on the ballot.
Those conditions do not apply for anyone nominated as Trustee, since there are three positions to fill. All those nominated for Trustee will appear on the ballot, and the three who receive the most votes will be installed in January.
Assuming not every candidate runs opposed or no one wins decisively in a primary election, the regular election is held in December. New this year out of consideration for health concerns and for the future when members may be touring or otherwise not in the jurisdiction on Election Day, each member will receive an official ballot along with their Notice of Election, with complete instructions on how to fill it out and return it. Ballots are mailed to the last known address of each member, so it is very important to let the office know if you move.
The current officers of Local 26 are:
- President: Stasia Savage
- Business Agent: Josh Roskamp
- Secretary-Treasurer: Matt Taylor
- 1st Vice President: Jessica Westra
- 2nd Vice President: Glenn Gould
- 3rd Vice President: Walter Shink
- Recording Secretary: Beth Snyder
- Member-at-Large: Stan Sacha
- Trustees: Carlos Aguilar, Jessi Nix-Gould, Ed Wager
In brief, the job descriptions of the various officers are below. Complete officers’ duties are detailed in the Local’s Constitution and By-Laws.
President: Serves as First Delegate to the International Convention and Michigan Alliance, Eighth District, and AFL-CIO. Presides over all Board and Membership meetings and appoints all committees and their chairpersons. Can only vote on motions in the event of a tie.
Business Agent: Serves as Second Delegate to the same organizations as the President. Oversees all members and referents as well as day-to-day operations of the Local and its office. Represents the Local in all dealings with employers, provides employers with labor through the Local’s Referral program, and maintains a list of all work assigned. The Call Steward function is part of the BA’s job but is typically delegated to others who work closely with the BA to ensure fairness and that proper procedures are followed.
Secretary-Treasurer: Serves as Third Delegate. Keeps an accurate record of all financial transactions, assets, and liabilities of the Local, as well as maintains all accounts. Collects dues, fines, and assessments, and oversees any investments. Acts as Corresponding Secretary, and acts as the liaison to the payroll corporation.
Vice Presidents: Report to the President on affairs of the Local and assist in the Training Committee. 1st VP serves as Fourth Delegate. 2nd VP serves as Fifth Delegate. 3rd VP serves as Sixth Delegate.
Recording Secretary/Sergeant-at-Arms: Serves as Seventh Delegate. Keeps the minutes of all membership and Executive Board meetings, transcribes them, and provides a written report at the next meeting for review. Ensures none but members or invited guests enters the meeting hall during meetings and takes attendance at each meeting.
Member-at-Large: Serves as Eighth Delegate. Acts as the liaison between the membership and the Executive Board and serves as an ex-officio member of all committees.
Trustees: Ensure any officer or employee of the Local who handles funds and/or property is bonded as required by law. Responsible for auditing the books of the Local every six months and ensuring all books and records of the Local are preserved for at least five years.
Not all members are eligible to run for office. A member must be actively engaged in the industry within the Local’s jurisdiction, have worked for at least 120 days in the past 36 months, and have been a member in continuous good standing of this Local for a period of two years. Time served as an Officer of the Local counts toward the 120 days.
Once the Election is completed, ballots tallied, and results announced, the officer-elect is expected to spend time with the outgoing officer learning the position. Then at the first regular Membership meeting in January the new officers take the required pledge, the outgoing officers turn over all papers and properties belonging to the Local, and newly-installed officers proceed to their new positions.
Regarding Delegates: As I mentioned in the post about the GEB, each Local is guaranteed one Delegate by virtue of being chartered. From there, Delegates are added depending on size of membership. Local 26 currently is allowed two Delegates. The reason for assigning each officer a Delegate order is in case one or more of the primary Delegates cannot attend any given convention or meeting. With a progression already in place hotels and flights can be booked (if necessary), which in the past had to be delayed until an election was held to determine who the Delegate would be.
If any members have questions regarding the nomination and voting process, please feel free to contact the office either by email any time or by phone during current hours (Mondays and Fridays 10:00 AM to 2:00 PM unless noted on the Contact page) and we’ll do our best to clarify anything for you. One thing it is important to note about nominations is a member must either be present at the September meeting or have submitted a Letter of Intent to Serve no less than five days prior to the close of nominations.
Hopefully all that didn’t confuse you, but if it did please reach out. Deciding who will run the Local and represent us as delegates for the next three years is an important decision.
You know what comes next, right? Be safe. Be well. STAY HOME OR MASK UP. And as always… WASH YOUR HANDS!
