The NewsGuild, and our parent union, the Communications Workers of America, value the importance of membership involvement in the union’s operation 365 days a year. Democracy is a key to the functioning of The NewsGuild. The officers of the Guild still are elected directly by the members and The NewsGuild chairperson is an unpaid position eligible to any member who is not an employee of The NewsGuild or works full-time for a local.
In addition to electing representatives to a governing body for The NewsGuild, members elect co-workers to be leaders at work and local officers. Elections for local officers are required to be by secret ballot. The election of national officers has been ruled by the Department of Labor to be fully in compliance with Title IV of the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act. The following is language from The NewsGuild and the CWA Constitution regarding national and local union officers.
TNG-CWA constitution
ARTICLE IX
TNG-CWA Executive Council
SECTION 1.
The E.C. shall consist of the Sector Officers of TNG-CWA, nominated in Sector Conference and elected by referendum vote. SECTION 2. (a) The Sector Officers shall be a Sector Chairperson of TNG-CWA, a President (who shall also serve as a CWA Vice-President), an Executive Vice President and seven Regional Vice-Presidents, elected by regions, one each from Regions 1 through 6 and one from Canada.
ARTICLE XI
Local Guilds
SECTION 5.
(a) Locals shall elect officers annually, unless the Local membership by referendum determines that they shall be elected biennially or triennially. The officers shall include at least a president, a vice-president, a secretary-treasurer or secretary and treasurer. No member shall be permitted to hold more than one such office.
(b) Locals shall provide in their by-laws for an Executive Committee of not fewer than three members.
(c) The officers of Locals prescribed by Local by-laws under Section 5(a) shall be elected by the membership, by secret ballot referendum in the event of a contest. Members of an executive committee other than such officers shall be elected by a secret ballot in the event of a contest according to procedures, and in the units or membership divisions they represent, as Local by-laws may prescribe.
CWA language: Article XV—Elections
Section 1—Union Officers
The President and Secretary-Treasurer of the Union shall be elected separately by secret ballot of the delegates to the Convention following nominations made from the floor of the Convention. Beginning with the election of 2011 the term of office shall be four years or until their successors have been duly elected and qualified.
Section 2—Vice Presidents and PPMWS Executive Officer
(a) District Vice Presidents shall be elected by a secret ballot, after nominations from the floor, at a meeting of delegates from the District. Beginning with the 2011 CWA Convention, there shall be elected a Telecom and Technology Vice President for AT&T Legacy T, Avaya, Alcatel-Lucent, OFS and those bargaining units of telecommunications employees other than AT&T, Verizon, Quest and their subsidiaries and affiliates. The Telecom and Technology Vice President, and the Public, Health Care and Education Workers Vice President shall be elected by secret ballot, after nominations from the floor at meetings of delegates representing members of AT&T Legacy T, Avaya, Alcatel-Lucent, and OFS and affected telecommunications bargaining units and Public, Health Care and Education workers units respectively.
(b) The duly elected President of the Printing, Publishing and Media Workers Sector of CWA shall be the CWA Printing, Publishing and Media Workers Sector Executive Officer and shall be elected in accordance with the Sector Bylaws and the CWA Constitution. The duly elected President of the TNG-CWA Sector shall be the TNG-CWA Sector Vice President and shall be elected in accordance with the CWA Constitution and the merger agreement. The duly elected NABET-CWA President shall be the NABET-CWA Sector Vice President and shall be elected by delegates representing NABET-CWA members in accordance with the CWA Constitution and NABET-CWA Sector Bylaws. The duly elected President of the IUE-CWA Division shall be the IUE-CWA Division Vice President and shall be elected in accordance with the IUE-CWA Rules and the CWA Constitution. The duly elected President of the AFA-CWA Sector shall be the AFA-CWA Sector Vice President and shall be elected in accordance with the AFA-CWA Rules and the CWA Constitution.
(c) Beginning with the election of 2008, each At-Large Diversity Executive Board Member shall be elected by secret ballot of the delegates to the Convention following nominations made from the floor of the Convention. Beginning with the elections held in 2011, the term of office for At-Large Diversity Executive Board Members shall be four years. No candidate shall be permitted to run for more than one of the four At-Large Diversity Executive Board seats. A candidate for an At-Large Diversity Executive Board seat must hold their membership within the region represented by that seat. Section 3—Local Officers (a) Local Officers shall be nominated and elected during the months of September, October, November and December. (b) Officers of a Local shall be at least President, Vice President, and Secretary-Treasurer or Secretary and Treasurer. Beginning with Local elections in 1987, no member shall be permitted to hold more than one such office.