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Statement in Favor of Proposed Amendments to Statewide Constitution

Regular Conventions: More Democratic Functioning, Training and Education

Conventions are an opportunity to broaden decision-making in CUE beyond our statewide executive board while providing regular opportunities for training.

The statewide e-board makes most of the day-to-day logistical and strategic decisions at monthly meetings. We propose a process that allows a larger elected group of CUE members to debate and vote on policy and participate in meaningful exchange across the state. At each local, we have e-board and membership meetings. Because we are a statewide union, we need statewide meetings for members from all locals together.

CUE's strength comes from an engaged and powerful membership. We are committed to more people, including new people, sharing in being elected CUE leaders and decision makers. Members should be able to "try on" being an elected leader for a few days before being asked to jump into a two-year commitment.

All this could occur for, according to our opponents' estimate, $1/CUE-represented employee/year. Vote YES!

Conventions and Elections

The constitution currently states that members can appeal election results to a convention (Appendix A, 2E). However, there is no provision to ensure that conventions will occur so that members can be assured of our rights to that appeal process and in fact, there has been no convention called since our start in 1997.

We want to protect to the fullest extent possible the right of all members to have our votes counted and our candidacies considered during elections.

The Constitution allows for conventions, but makes it very difficult to actually have a convention. Fix that. Vote YES!

Changing the Constitution: Quorums

Three years ago a majority of the statewide E-Board agreed to send, for a membership-wide vote, amendments to the statewide constitution that would improve election procedures. Subsequently, new language was developed and approved to clarify and correct several areas of the Constitution based on our experiences since 1997. None have been sent out for members to vote on. Current constitutional quorum requirements for amendments are daunting.

CUE deserves better. Conventions will allow fuller direct in-person, member participation and facilitate necessary decisions regarding policy and amendments. Constitutional amendments (except regarding dues and affiliation) passed by a majority at a convention and referred to members could be adopted by a simple majority vote with a 15% quorum instead of the current prohibitive 40% quorum. Vote YES!

Let's learn from our experiences and expand member participation.

CUE Members for Even More Democracy
The CUE Statewide Executive Board
Claudia Horning, CUE Statewide President and UCLA CUE Recording Secretary
Amatullah Alaji-Sabrie, President Berkeley/OP CUE Local 3 and CUE Statewide Chief Negotiator
UC Davis CUE Local 7 Executive Board
UC San Diego CUE Local 5 Executive Board
Jackie Bess, LBNL CUE Local 8 Chief Steward and Rep to the Statewide E-Board
Dorthea Stewart, Statewide Treasurer (Interim) & UCSD CUE Local 5 Executive Board Member (state & local)
Marian Chapman, President San Francisco CUE Local 6
Mary Juma, President Riverside CUE Local 2 and Rep to the Statewide E-board