Next Steps:
The Bylaws Committee and the Executive Committee have recommended the following changes to the Minnesota Newspaper & Communications Guild’s (TNG-CWA 37002) Bylaws.
The proposed changes will be voted on at the Guild’s Membership Meeting on Wednesday March 25, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. Central. To attend, please contact NewspaperGuild@mnguild.org before 3:00 p.m. the day of the meeting to receive the Zoom link.
In summary, the committee recommends:
- Updating the membership meeting quorum to two-thirds the size of the Executive Committee;
- Adding the past president to the Executive Committee (Past president is currently an officer, but not on EC.);
- Increasing the size of the Executive Committee by two seats — one representing union staff units and the other nonprofits (These representatives would be elected by their constituencies, rather than the full membership.);
- Stipulating that officers — president, vice presidents, treasurer and recording secretary — must have been members for at least one year to run (This requirement will not apply to other EC seats.);
- Setting the minimum number of delegates the Local sends to TNG-CWA convention at two, one of which must be Local president (The current requirement is that one delegate must be president or staff.);
- Stipulating that the number of Local-funded delegates to TNG-CWA convention be decided at January membership meeting, with election of delegates (both Local-funded and self-funded) taking place at a subsequent membership meeting;
- Stipulating that unit elections, except in units with seats on the EC, be conducted at the discretion of each unit, rather than mandating secret ballots;
- Stipulating that members of units who are still bargaining their first contract may vote in local leadership elections, as long as all candidates agree to this.