Open Source: UFCW reform manifesto

I think it's great.

BTW below is the text of the manifesto:

A few minor points:

I would quibble over the ease of changing the bylaws tho:
"Any change in the bylaws will be enacted based upon the affirmative vote of a simple majority of the members voting." Especially if that
has anything to do with being able to raise dues.

Also I don't have a sense of the structure of their union, the role
of the executive board, what the trustees do, what the stewards do,
what the officers do. They may wish to spell it out a bit.

They may wish to say something about electing delegates?
And delegate expenses. In our local the president liked to hand out
delegateships to members who also were business associates in non-union business and political activities. Made for some ultra-ill will. "Forging relationships with community movers and shakers" sounds a lot better on paper than when you're on the wrong end of it and it becomes "forging private deals that you little people aren't ever getting near because *you're* nobody". Nobody wants to pay extra for getting their nobodyship rubbed in their face. The union should be independent of the power structure of that workplace, of the political power structure,of any business or nonprofit activities, media,...whatever.

I think maybe 60 days notice for meetings is excessive?

They may wish to put in something about a quorum to sideline those
productive holiday meetings some locals have been known for. :-)

Possibly something to allow free speech on web sites, criticism
of the union,officers,staff, international, and policies in meetings
and publications?

Possibly something to restrict the possible interference of staff
in the operation of the local. (This was *the* problem in our
local. Staffers in the State level of the international constantly
micro-critiquing the locals, butting into local politics, trying to
convince locals to merge that didn't want to merge, badmouthing the
local to potential members, all while making one hell of a lot more
money than most of the dues paying membership. If they want to butt in
they should at least be paying full dues to the local they are butting
into in my book. But I don't think the staff *should* be allowed to get to the point that they are arrogantly putting themselves above the membership. That is very likely to happen after they associate with other staffers over time and start seeing those 6 figure salaries of stafferes in the high rolling internationals.)

http://www.ufcwreform.org/ufcwmembermanifesto.pdf
Given that the true spirit and power of the labor movement
rests with the rank and file workers, and that the leadership of
the UFCW International and several of its local affiliates have
abandoned those workers for the concessionary and corrupt
model of business unionism; it’s time for UFCW members to
lay claim to the rights that are inherently derived from the
fruits of our labor. To that end, we propose a manifesto of
UFCW member rights. These rights apply to all UFCW
members, regardless of geographic location, local affiliation, or
occupation.
1) Bargaining
a. It is the right of every member to actively participate in the negotiation of
any collective bargaining agreement under which their employment is
covered.
b. At least seventy-five percent of the members of any bargaining committee
will consist of rank and file members who are duly elected by all members
to whom a given contract will apply.
c. There will be no “executive sessions” in which negotiations occur without
the participation of the entire bargaining committee.
d. Every member covered under a collective barganing agreement will have
access to the entire contract no later than twenty-four hours prior to a
ratification vote.
e. Each member will receive a complete printed copy of the contract within
sixty days of ratification.
f. All wage and benefit provisions pertaining to a given bargaining unit will
be negotiated based only upon job function. There will be no “tiered”
contracts in which employees performing the same job functions receive
differing levels of compensation.
2) Staff and Officer Compensation
a. Salaries and other compensation of officers and staff members will be
determined by a committee consisting entirely of rank and file members
duly elected by the entire membership.
b. Under no circumstances shall an officer or staff member receive an
increase in salary or other compensation which exceeds in percentage the
average increase obtained for rank and file members over the previous
twelve months.
c. In the event of a member-sanctioned work stoppage, officers and staff will
be expected to absorb a reduction in salary and benefits as deemed
appropriate by the aforementioned rank and file committee.
3) Finances
a. All of the union’s financial information and documents will be readily
available to every member. This includes any transactions which involve
the disbursement of funds collected in the form of union dues or derived
from union dues.
b. A petition containing at least five percent of the signatures of the entire
membership will be deemed sufficient to initiate an independent audit of
union finances.
c. All trustees shall be elected by the rank and file membership. Officers and
staff of the local will not be eligible to become trustees.
4) Constitution and Bylaws
a. All members will be entitled to a printed copy of the International’s
constitution and of all governing International and local bylaws.
b. Any change in the bylaws will be enacted based upon the affirmative vote
of a simple majority of the members voting.
c. All members will be entitled to assistance in determining the appropriate
steps necessary to offer changes to the constitution or to the bylaws.
5) Elected Office
a. All dues-paying members will be allowed to freely run for any elected
position within the union based solely upon their receipt of a nomination
by another member.
b. All individuals serving as business agents within the local will be elected
by the membership.
c. Elections will take place every two years with no more than two
consecutive terms served by any individual within a given office
d. Any member running against an incumbent will be provided with the same
access to union facilities, publications, and membership lists as is the
incumbent.
e. Salaried members will not constitute more than twenty-five percent of the
membership of the local executive board.
f. All officers, executives, staff members, and stewards will be subject to
recall based upon the affirmative vote of a simple majority of those voting.
A recall vote will be scheduled based upon a petition signed by at least
twenty-five percent of the affected membership.
6) Member Voting
a. All actions involving a vote of the membership, other than contract or
strike votes, will require a notice published and posted in all affected
workplaces no later than sixty days prior to the scheduled vote.
b. All voting actions will be overseen by a committee of duly elected
members whose responsibilities will include devising voting procedures
that will insure the opportunity for the democratic involvement of the
entire rank and file membership.
7) Mergers
a. Mergers of two or more locals will not occur within the twelve months
prior to a scheduled election within any of the involved locals.
b. In the event of a merger, the newly formed local will schedule an election
for all offices, the date of which will fall within sixty days of the newly
formed local’s charter.
c. The interim officers of the newly formed local will be determined by a
duly elected committee drawn from the membership of all locals involved
in the merger.
8) Stewards
a. All shop stewards will be elected by those members within the shop which
will be represented by that steward.
b. A separate election will take place for any position designated as a “chief”
steward.
c. One steward will be in place for every fifty or portion thereof of the rank
and file membership within a given workplace.
d. All stewards will receive regular scheduled updates on all union affairs.
e. All stewards will receive extensive training and education in all aspects of
union affairs.
f. No one who functions as a manager in a given facility will be allowed to
run for election as a steward.
g. At least one steward will be available in the workplace at all times while
members are present and working.
9) Membership Meetings
a. General membership meetings will be structured so as to allow any
member to be given the floor via the appropriate rules of order.
b. Union stewards will be expected to attend all general membership
meetings.
c. Special, sector –specific membership meetings will be regularly held at a
central location.
d. The sector-specific meetings will be chaired by a steward, with the
assistance of one of the local’s officers.
e. Teleconferencing facilities will be set up for the general membership
meetings in order to accommodate members who are further than fifty
miles from the location of the general membership meeting.
10) Disputes and Arbitration
a. A committee of stewards, elected by the entire membership, will
participate in any of the local’s ongoing disputes—irrespective of industry.
b. Under no circumstances will any arbitration, mediation, grievance hearing,
or other meeting designed to resolve a dispute take place on premises
which are owned, operated, or controlled by the employer.
11) Member Education
a. Each local will create a member education center which will be available
to all interested members. The center will provide educational instruction
on local and international processes, labor studies, and general educational
studies.
12) Ethical Practices
a. A rank and file committee will institute an ethical practices code. No
officer, staff member, or steward will be allowed to serve on this
committee.
b. A "zero corruption" policy will be established for all UFCW International
and Local union officers and staff. Enforcement of this policy will be the
responsibility of the above-referenced ethical practices committee.
c. No family member of any officer will be allowed to serve in a paid
position with the local.
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Your side comment on starting a Wiki for the open source manifesto has inspired me to vet an idea here. After repping in several locals I'm fairly new to a big statewide local with tons of laws, regulations, classifications, etc. The information--including past arbitrations and grievances--is organized in the style of the last century (on book shelves and in the memory of the long-timers). I'm thinking and talking around the idea of starting a rep/steward wiki so we can organize and retain our collective experience/intelligence. This would be with the help and support of the local's leadership.

Has anyone heard of a union doing this or have any ideas?