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Santa Rosa Education Association Constitution for download (PDF, 95K)

Article I:  Name and Authority for Governance

Section 1: The name of this organization shall be the Santa Rosa Education Association, hereinafter referred to as “SREA” or “the “Association.”

Section 2: SREA shall be governed by this Constitution

Section 3: SREA shall be a unified local affiliate of the Florida Education Association (FEA), the National Education Association (NEA), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the AFL-CIO.  SREA shall participate in the Central Panhandle Service Unit.

Article II:  Purpose

Section 1: The goal of SREA is to provide representation and leadership for all members of the Association and the professional bargaining units in Santa Rosa County, Florida.

Section 2: The objectives of SREA are:

  1. To secure full union rights, including the rights to exclusive recognition and collective bargaining, for all employees who are eligible for membership,
  2. To enable members to speak with a common voice in matters pertaining to their interest and to present their common interest before their employer and other legal authorities, as provided by law.
  3. To encourage mutual understanding and cooperation among the membership,
  4. To encourage members to exercise their rights and privileges as members in SREA and as citizens, and to willingly accept leadership in SREA and in civic affairs.
  5. To advance the economic, social and political well-being of the membership,
  6. To promote the improvement of working conditions and professional environment of the membership,
  7. To promote the effectiveness and quality of the public education institutions in which our members work,
  8. To support and strengthen the local, state and national union affiliates.
  9. To promote democracy, equality, and unionism in the society at large,
  10. To improve and promote community engagement in achieving quality public education for all citizens.

Article III: Membership

Section 1:  Membership Eligibility

  1. Active Membership in SREA shall be open to any person employed by the District School Board of Santa Rosa County, Florida, as an Instructional Bargaining Unit Member or as a Classroom/Clerical Education Staff Professional, or any person on a limited leave of absence from such employment.
  2. All Instructional Employees or Clerical/Classroom Education Staff Professionals who meet the membership requirements may, upon payment of dues as herein prescribed, become an active member of SREA with full rights and privileges of membership.
  3. Members of SREA shall also be members of the National Education Association (NEA), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), the Florida Education Association (FEA), and the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). Membership in SREA shall be consistent with requirements for membership in its affiliates.
  4. Membership shall be continuous until the member leaves the school system, resigns from the Association, or fails to pay membership dues.
  5. A member in good standing is defined as a member who is current in payment of dues to SREA. A member who is delinquent in dues payment shall be considered to be a member in bad standing, and shall be promptly notified of such status. A member shall be removed from membership in this Association, with notice, following 30 days of dues nonpayment, unless a plan to pay back dues is made and approved by both the Executive Board and the member.
  6. All Executive Officers and Directors and candidates for executive office and directors shall be active members of the Association Union and shall have been active members for at least six months prior to taking office. All Executive Officers and Directors shall remain members in good standing during their term of office, or shall forfeit their office.

Section 2:  Classes of Membership

  1. Active. Active membership shall be open to any person engaged in or on a limited leave of absence from education work in the Santa Rosa School District. Active membership shall be limited to persons who maintain membership in the local, state, and national affiliates.
  2. Associate. Associate membership is open to any person who is interested in advancing the cause of public education, but who is not eligible for active membership.

Section 3:  Non-renewed or Dismissed Members

  1. Members in the status of dismissal or non-renewal, in order to receive continued representation and legal assistance, shall be required to retain membership in good standing in SREA until such time as their status is clarified.

Section 4:  Non-Discrimination

  1. SREA shall not deny membership to individuals on the basis of race, creed, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, disability, social, political, or economic status, nor shall any organization that so denies membership be affiliated with this Association.

Section 5:  Revocation of Membership

  1. The Executive Board, after due notice and hearing, may suspend membership or expel any member who shall have violated the Code of Ethics of the education profession as determined by the Florida Department of Education Office of Professional Practice Services. The Executive Board may reinstate a member who has previously been suspended or expelled from the Association. This method affords due process to any member facing disciplinary action.

Article IV: General Assembly

  1. The General Assembly shall consist of all active members of the SREA.
  2. There shall be at least one (1) General Assembly meeting each school year. Additional meetings may be called by co-organizers or by petition of twenty (20) percent of the active members of the Association.
  3. A quorum of the General Assembly shall consist of the SREA members present.
  4. Meetings of the General Assembly shall be scheduled outside of regular school/work hours. At least two (2) weeks’ notice shall be given to the membership, specifying date, time, place and purpose of the meeting.
  5. The General Assembly shall meet and adopt By-Laws to establish the governance structure of the organization which will contain the offices of the President, Vice Presidents, Secretary, a Treasurer, and Site Leader Council. Elections will be executed in accordance with the adopted By-Laws.

Article V: Officers

SECTION 1:

Officers of the SREA shall be: President, a Vice President for Certified Employees, a Vice President for Education Support Employees, a Secretary, and a Treasurer. These officers shall be known collectively as the Executive Committee.

SECTION 2:

Officers shall be elected by the general membership in January (for the 2017 -2018 school year) and in May for subsequent school years in accordance with FEA election procedures.

SECTION 3:

The President, Vice President for Certified Employees, Vice President for Education Support Employees, Secretary, and Treasurer are eligible for election to no more than two (2) consecutive terms of two (2) years each.

A. A term of office shall begin on July 1, with the exception of officers elected in the first election following January 1, 2018. Officers elected then shall begin a term of office effective on the date that ballots are counted. This initial term of office shall terminate on June 30, 2020.

B. Any member, who shall have been a member in good standing for no fewer than six (6) months prior to the date on which he or she shall take office, shall be eligible for election to any office except the Vice Presidencies. Only members who are certified employees of the school district shall be eligible to serve as Vice President for Certified Employees, and only members who are education support employees of the school district shall be eligible to serve as Vice President for Education Support Employees.

SECTION 4:

Should the President, Vice President for Certified Employees, Vice President for Education Support Employees, Secretary, and Treasurer retire or resign from active employment with the school district during their term of office, or in the event that an officer ceases to be a member in good standing of SREA/FEA/NEA/AFT, that office shall become vacant effective at noon on the date of the officer’s retirement from the school district or on the date the officer’s active membership is terminated, whichever is earlier.1

A. In the event that the Presidency is vacated, and fewer than ninety (90) days remain in the unexpired term, the Vice President in the same employment category shall succeed to the Presidency for the remainder of the unexpired term and shall remain eligible for election to no more than two (2) consecutive terms of two (2) years. If more than ninety (90) days remain in the unexpired term, a special selection shall be conducted, at the next regularly scheduled meeting of the Site Leader Council, to fill the vacancy.

B. In the event that an office other than the Presidency is vacated, the President shall appoint a qualified successor, subject to the approval and consent of the remaining active officers.

C. All matters requiring approval and consent shall be decided by secret ballot.

SECTION 5:

Officers shall serve their terms so long as they ethically and satisfactorily perform the duties of their office. Where an officer is guilty of misconduct, such officer may be removed for cause (shown after notice and a hearing) and by a majority vote of the members of the Association.

A. Recommendation for recall can be made by a submission of petition containing the signatures of 30% of the membership to the Executive Committee. The Executive Committee shall notify in writing any officer who has been recommended for recall. Any officer may appeal in writing to the Executive Committee.

B. The Executive Committee shall schedule hearings, whenever necessary, to review the recommendation of recall of an officer. The report of those hearings shall be made available to the membership. A general membership meeting shall be called two weeks after the issuance of the report. Such recall shall be determined by a majority vote of the membership in attendance at that meeting.

Article VI: Site Leader Council

SECTION 1:

The general membership shall be represented in the Site Leader Council by persons who are members in good standing of the SREA/FEA/NEA/AFT. Site Leaders shall be elected by members as provided in the By-Laws.

SECTION 2:

Site Leaders are eligible for election to no more than two (2) consecutive terms of three (3) years each.

A. A term of office shall begin on July 1, with the exception of Site Leaders elected in the first election following January 1, 2018. Site Leaders elected then shall begin a term of office effective on the date that ballots are counted. This initial term of office shall terminate on June 30, 2021.

B. Any member, who shall have been a member in good standing for no fewer than six (6) months prior to the date on which he or she shall take office, shall be eligible for election to the Site Leader Council. For the inaugural election, the Executive Officers may waive the six (6) month membership requirement.

SECTION 3:

Meetings shall be held as provided in the By-laws.

Article VII: AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION

SECTION 1:

Amendments to the Constitution

A. Amendments to the Constitution may be brought forward by any member by one or more of the following methods:

  1. By majority vote of the. Site Leader Council.
  2. By majority vote of the General Assembly.
  3. By petition signed by at least thirty (30) percent of the active members of the Association.

B. Notice of proposed amendments to the Constitution shall be distributed in writing to all members at least thirty (30) days prior to the date of a secret ballot vote.

C. Amendments to this Constitution shall be made at a regular general membership meeting of the Union by a two-third (2/3) vote of the members present and voting, or by printed balloting of the membership.

Article VIII: DUES AND ASSESSMENTS

SECTION 1:
Annual local SREA dues and assessments shall be based on the adopted SREA Budget as determined by the Site Leader Council.

SECTION 2:
Dues for the Central Panhandle Service Unit, FEA, NEA, AFT and the AFL/CIO shall be those established by their respective governing bodies.

SECTION 3:
The Association’s fiscal year and membership year shall be the same as that of FEA.

Article IX: RULES OF ORDER

Robert’s Rules of Order Newly Revised shall govern this organization and all of its subordinate bodies in all matters not expressly covered by this Constitution or the By-Laws of this organization.

Article IX: AVAILABILITY OF THE CONSTITUTION

SECTION 1:
The Secretary shall make available upon request a copy to any member of the organization.

SECTION 1:
A copy in pdf format shall be posted on the Association website and in the FEA portal.

First Adopted by Vote of the general membership, on December 11, 2017