NJGenweb Coordinators,
NOTE: You ONLY NEED TO REPLY to this post if you ARE interested in having NJGenWeb sponsor
these bylaws.
I have been asked to forward the following proposed amendment to bylaws regarding
Grievance Procedures. We have been asked as a State Project, to take a look at these, and
decide whether we want to sponsor them so they will be voted on at our next national
election.
I personally like the idea of a formal grievance procedure, and we currently have such
procedures in the works for our state project (they will be presented to this group
sometime following our formal vote on bylaws and policies).
In the meantime, if you would all take a look at the info below.
I personally vote AGAINST sponsoring this particular amendment, as written, only because
the members are originally appointed by the Advisory Committee, and after that the
Grievance Committee itself recommends members, and those members have to be approved by
the Advisory Committee. It makes the membership of the committee too close to the
Advisory Committee, in my estimation. I'd like to see those members elected, or at
least selected from a group outside of the Advisory Committee, and/or the Grievance
Committee itself.
Janice
**Forwarded from the State Coordinators Mailing List**
From: Scott Burow <sburow(a)swbell.net>
Subject: [STATE-COORD] Bylaw Amendment proposed by WVGenWeb
Date: Feb 5, 2007 12:11 AM
******Please Forward to all Project Lists******
The WVGenWeb Project has proposed an amendment to the USGenWeb Bylaws
pursuant to Article XVI, Section 3, and has been posted to the USGenWeb
Project national webpage at:
http://www.usgenweb.org/volunteers/notice.shtml
and is quoted in it's entirety here:
The WVGenWeb Project requests that the following proposed amendments to the
USGenWeb Bylaws be presented to the USGenWeb Project membership for approval
in accordance with Bylaws Article XVI, Section 3. To this end: it shall be
posted to the Project website and
mailing lists for a period of at least thirty (30) days prior to the annual
voting period of July 1-July 31.
"These USGenWeb Bylaws; Article VI (Duties/Qualifications of Advisory
Board), Section 3 and Article XIV (Grievance Procedures and Appeals Process)
are repealed and replaced as stated below.
Article VI, Section 3.
The responsibilities of the Advisory Board shall include addressing any
problem issues as they arise; aiding the state projects upon request;
establishing and overseeing committees; reviewing grievance appeals in
accordance with the Grievance Committee Procedures, and appointing a
webmaster to maintain the national website.
Article XIV, Section 1.
A standing Grievance Committee will be established.
Article XIV, Section 2.
The Grievance Committee will operate under the Grievance Policies and
Procedures. Changes to the Grievance Policies and Procedures may be made by
the Advisory Board or may be proposed by the Grievance Committee for
approval by the Advisory Board. The current Grievance Policies and
Procedures shall be displayed on the National website.
Article XIV, Section 3.
The Advisory Board will appoint the initial members of the Grievance
Committee. Thereafter, the Grievance Committee will recommend for approval
by the Advisory Board a slate of members to fill vacant positions.
Article XIV, Section 4.
The Grievance Committee will administer a fair, orderly, and timely
resolution of a grievance in accordance with the Grievance Policies and
Procedures.
Article XIV, Section 5.
The resolution of a grievance is binding upon the membership.
Article XIV, Section 6.
All actions, whether by the national Grievance Committee or by a grievance
process at a state or special project level, shall be characterized by
fairness, courtesy, and respect for the dignity and the rights of each
individual. To that end, the following rights and responsibilities apply to
all grievance processes within the USGenWeb Project, XXGenWeb Projects, and
Special Projects.
Article XIV, Section 6(1).
A member may choose to act as his or her own representative, or may select
someone to act as his or her representative. The member retains the right to
change or dismiss the representative at any step of the procedure; however,
such action will not affect the point at which the change or dismissal
occurs.
Article XIV, Section 6(2).
When a member is dismissed from a position in a State, Local, or Special
Project, that member's position may not be filled until the expiration of
the time for that member to file a grievance. When the said member files a
grievance, that position may not be filled unless the grievance resolution
against the member calls for the member to lose that position. Nothing
should prevent the unlinking of the member's website and establishing a
temporary website pending resolution of any grievance.
Article XIV, Section 6(3).
Nobody shall be discriminated against for participating in the grievance
process."
Any project wishing to co-sponsor this amendment should advise a member of
the USGenWeb Project Advisory Board so that their name may be included as a
co-sponsor. The proposed amendment shall remain posted to the national
webpage until the annual election.
Scott Burow
National Coordinator
USGenWeb Project
(end)