Name

1. The name of this local shall be Aspen View local association No 7 of The Alberta Teachers' Association.

Boundaries

2. The area served by this local association shall include the teachers employed by the Aspen View Regional Division No 19.

Membership

3. (1) All active members of The Alberta Teachers' Association employed within the boundaries listed in section 2 are members of this local.

(2) Associate members of The Alberta Teachers' Association such as are assigned from time to time by the Provincial Executive Council of the Association and who pay the prescribed local association fee may become members of this local association with all rights and privileges of active members.

Objects

4. The objects of this local association shall be to further the objects of The Alberta Teachers' Association as set out in section 4 of the Teaching Profession Act and ATA General Bylaws.

Fees

5. This local association shall have the power, subject to approval of the Provincial Executive Council of The Alberta Teachers' Association, to levy fees for membership in this local association such as are determined from time to time in a general meeting of the local association. Such fees shall be additional to the fees prescribed by the Annual Representative Assembly.

Rules of Procedure

6. The proceedings of all meetingsCgeneral, special, local council and executive committeeCshall be regulated by the official Rules of Order and Procedure as published in the Members' Handbook.

Organization

7. The governing body of this local shall be a general meeting of its members, 20 percent of whom shall constitute a quorum.

8. A general meeting of this local shall be held at least once a year to hear reports and deal with same, hold elections, approve and set policy and deal with such other matters as may arise.

Local Council

9. There shall be constituted a local council of this local consisting of:

1. all members of the executive committee,
2. school representatives, other than executive committee members, elected in September by each staff according to the following schedule: one per school, except schools having less than three members will be adjunct to another school.
3. local representatives if not members of the executive committee,
4. chair or one other representative of the substitute teacher group,
5. chair of standing committees if not members of the executive committee, local representatives or school representatives,
6. convention representatives if not included in a) to (e).

10. Members of this local other than members of the local council may attend council meetings, may speak with approval of the meeting but may not vote.

11. The duties of the local council shall be:

1. to administer the affairs of the local association, including adoption of an audited annual financial statement and approval of an annual budget,
2. to elect all ad hoc committees,
3. to approve frames of reference for each of its committees,
4. to hear reports from committees and decide on action to be taken, if any,
5. to elect or appoint representatives to the district convention committee, at least one of whom must be a member of the local professional development committee,
6. to elect or appoint representatives to the ATA summer conference and to other events requiring local representation on an ad hoc basis.
7. to deal with other matters not inconsistent with this constitution or ATA General Bylaws.

12. The local council shall meet at least six times per year.

13. A majority vote of those present shall govern the decisions of the local council unless rules and regulations otherwise decree.

14. Sixty percent of local council members are required to constitute a quorum.

Executive Committee

15. The executive committee of this local shall consist of: president, vice‑president, past president, secretary, treasurer and a communications officer.

16. It shall be the duty of the executive committee to prepare the agenda of business for all meetings, to exercise general supervision of the affairs of the local association, to prepare and transmit to head office of The Alberta Teachers' Association such reports and statements with reference to the affairs of the local association as may be required by the Provincial Executive Council of The Alberta Teachers' Association and to ensure that all Association monies are used to further the objects of the Association as set out in the Teaching Profession Act, to ensure that there is liaison between the local and all employing boards within the local and, where time is of the essence, to assume the functions of the local council.

17. The executive committee shall meet as often as local business requires.

Notice of Meetings

18. Notices of intent to hold a general, special, local council or an executive meeting shall be distributed by the secretary at least five school days before such meeting is to be held, and such notices shall include an outline or agenda of business to be discussed at the meeting, provided, however, that any meeting may, by a two‑thirds vote of the total number of members on the roster, waive notice of a meeting or of any motion brought before the meeting.

19. Meetings of this local association or of the bargaining unit within the local shall be called by the president or on the request of the executive committee or the local council or on the written request of ten members of the local or at the request of the representative(s) to the regional economic policy committee or the chair of the economic policy committee, as applicable, or at the request of an officer of The Alberta Teachers' Association or of the district representative of whose district this local association forms a part.

20. A record shall be kept of all those attending general, special, local council and executive committee meetings of this local.

21. An officer of The Alberta Teachers' Association or district representative of whose district this local forms a part may attend and participate in any meeting (general, council or executive) of this local association.

Duties of Officers

22. (1) An ATA officer shall not vote. A district representative shall not vote except at a general meeting of a local of which the representative is a member.

(2) PresidentCThe duties of the president shall be:

1. to call and preside at all general, local council and executive committee meetings of this local association,
2. to exercise general supervision over the affairs of this local association,
3. to serve as a local representative to representative assemblies.

(3) Vice‑PresidentCThe duties of the vice‑president shall be:

1. to take charge of the affairs of this local association in the absence of the president, and
2. to assist the president in the discharge of duties.

(4) Past PresidentCThe duties of the past president shall be:

1. to act as a liaison for past activities of the association,
2. to act in an advisory capacity to the executive committee,
3. to act as chair of the nominating committee,
4. to act as a chair or member of other committees as defined by local guidelines,
5. to attend local executive, council and general meetings.

(5) SecretaryCThe duties of the secretary shall be:

1. to keep accurate records of all proceedings of this local association,
2. to bring before the executive committee of this local association all communications received by the local,
3. to prepare and send to The Alberta Teachers' Association such statements and reports as may be required from time to time,
4. to prepare and send notices calling all meetings, whether regular, special, local council or executive committee.

(6) TreasurerCThe duties of the treasurer shall be:

1. to prepare at the direction of the executive committee, an annual budget for the local,
2. to keep accurate records of all monies received and collected and to take charge of the same,
3. to prepare an annual financial statement for audit purposes,
4. to make the necessary disbursements of the funds of this local association as authorized by the executive committee or local council,
5. to prepare such statements and reports as may be required from time to time.

(7) Local RepresentativesCThe duties of each local representative of this local association shall be:

1. to represent this local association at all representative assemblies of The Alberta Teachers' Association,
2. to report the proceedings of all representative assemblies to the local council and to such other gatherings as may be decided,
3. to attend meetings of the local council of this local association,
4. to attend general meetings of this local association.

(8) School RepresentativesCThe duty of the school representatives shall be to report on the activities of the local council to their respective staffs.

(9) Communications OfficerCIt shall be the responsibility of this officer to carry out a communications program with the teachers in the local and between the local and its various publics. All actions of this officer shall be subject to prior approval by the executive of the local involved.

(10) Convention Association RepresentativesCThe duties of the convention association representatives shall be:

1. to ensure the local receives the annual budget and the audited financial statement of the convention association,
2. to represent the local on the convention board,
3. to liaise with the local professional development committee,
4. to serve as the communication link between the local and the convention association.

Committees

23. (1) Economic Policy Committee (EPC)CThe duties of this committee shall be:

1. to gather and study data and prepare proposed amendments to the salary agreement for consideration of members of the bargaining unit(s) affected,

(2) Negotiating SubcommitteeCThe negotiating subcommittee shall be chosen from and by the economic policy committee. It shall be the duty of this subcommittee to engage in collective bargaining with the board of trustees.

(3) Local Communications CommitteeCThe duty of this committee shall be to render all assistance required by the communications officer to facilitate both internal and external communications.

(4) Professional Development CommitteeCThe duty of this committee shall be to assume general responsibility for all professional development activities undertaken by this local association.

(5) Audit Committee/Independent AuditorCIn this local, the audit shall be done by an independent auditor who shall present an audited financial statement/report to a meeting of local council within three months of the end of the local's fiscal year.

(6) Political Action CommitteeCThe duty of this committee shall be to ascertain and influence the intentions of government, establish teacher contact within the constituency(ies) with the MLA(s) and liaise with the Provincial Association regarding the activities of the Minister of Education and other members of the Legislature.

(7) Teacher Board Advisory CommitteeCThe duties of this committee shall be:

1. to act as a liaison between the teachers of the local and the administration and board of the region,
2. together with representatives from the board and central administration to help review and react to policy developed by central administration and the board,
3. to elect a chair who is also a member of the EPC. This chair will report to local council at each meeting.

(8) Nominating CommitteeCThe duties of this committee shall be to solicit nominations for each of the elected positions in the local association, and to present these nominations to the annual general meeting at which the elections are held. This committee shall comprise the past president, the secretary and at least one other member appointed by local council.

Elections

24. (1) The president, vice‑president, secretary, treasurer, local communications officer, convention representatives, if not appointed, and local representatives shall be elected annually by a vote of the members of this local.

(2) The chairs/members of other committees are elected/appointed according to the committee terms of reference as approved by local council.

(3) The bargaining unit within the local shall elect an economic policy committee.

(4) All persons elected under subsections (1) and (2) shall assume office on July 1 following their election.

(5) A vacancy on the executive committee occurring between annual elections shall be filled by election of a member of this local association by the remaining members of the executive committee.

(6) Should one or more of the local representatives be unable to fulfil their term of office, replacements shall be elected by the local council.

Substitute Teachers Group

25. (1) At the request of ten or more substitute teacher members, this local shall organize a substitute teacher group.

(2) Those eligible for participation in the group shall be members who substituted for one of the employing jurisdictions included in the local for at least one day during the previous twelve‑month period.

(3) An appropriate budget for the group shall be established.

(4) The frame of reference for the group shall be as follows:

1. its objects shall be to advance the professional skills and knowledge unique to substitute teaching and to advance within the local the special interests of substitute teachers,
2. it shall have at least one general meeting per year,
3. it shall elect a chair, a vice‑chair, a secretary‑treasurer, and two members‑at‑large to an executive which shall be responsible for organizing activities to promote the objects of the group,
4. its executive shall present to the local an annual report of its activities and of the disbursement of its funds.

General

26. The financial year of this local shall be May 1 to April 30.

27. (1) This local association shall reimburse members acting on its behalf for all necessary out‑of‑pocket expenses.

(2) This local association shall pay all expenses as determined and authorized by the local council.

28. Amendments to this constitution may be made after a two‑month notice of motion by a two‑thirds vote at a general meeting of this local association, subject to ratification by the Provincial Executive Council of The Alberta Teachers' Association.

Ratified by Provincial Executive Council 1994 12 03
Amendments ratified by TOC on behalf of PEC 1996 09 09