AMEND THRESHOLD FOR MEMBER-INITIATED
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
THE PROBLEM
Equity's Constitution includes a procedure for member-initiated amendments. In order to put a proposed amendment to a referendum vote of the membership, a written request needs to be made by 25% of Equity's "active members in good standing." In a union with more than 50,000 members, that would require a petition with more than 12,000 signatures.
To put this number in context, if a proposed amendment was signed by every single Equity member currently living in Equity's 28 liaison areas, it would barely reach the required number. That is an unreasonable threshold to meet. A member-initiated referendum should be difficult to achieve, not impossible.
To put this number in context, if a proposed amendment was signed by every single Equity member currently living in Equity's 28 liaison areas, it would barely reach the required number. That is an unreasonable threshold to meet. A member-initiated referendum should be difficult to achieve, not impossible.
THE SOLUTION
The procedures for member-initiated constitutional amendments are found in Article 6, Section 1 of Equity's Constitution, which the Convention does not currently have the authority to amend. The Convention can, however, make a recommendation to the National Council that an amendment to these procedures be adopted.
PROPOSED RESOLUTION
RESOLVED, that the Convention recommends to the National Council that Article 6, Section 1(a)(2) of Equity's Constitution be amended to reduce the threshold for a member-initiated referendum to amend the constitution to no greater than ten percent (10%) of the active members in good standing.
