The BMWE Convention Call is being mailed this month (November 1997) to alert subordinate lodge secretary-treasurers and other officers to the proper procedures for election of delegates to the Grand Lodge Convention.

Elected delegates or alternates will represent their lodge or lodges at the 43^rd Grand Lodge Convention July 13-17, 1998, at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, Quebec. Some of the subjects the delegates will be dealing with are amendments to the Grand Lodge Constitution and By-Laws, resolutions needed to advance the benefits of the membership, and the election of officers to lead the BMWE into the 21^st Century.

It is important that subordinate lodges adhere to the rules and eligibility requirements for delegates and alternates and their election, because if ineligible members are elected or elections are conducted improperly, these delegates or alternates may not be able to give the subordinate lodge a voice and vote at the convention.

The Grand Lodge Constitution and By-Laws provide the following election rules:

Representation

(Article XXII, Section 14, Paragraph 1)

Each subordinate lodge is eligible to elect a delegate and alternate to represent it at the convention or a lodge may choose to be represented by a delegate and alternate of another subordinate lodge. While a delegate may represent more than one lodge, he or she can not represent more than 500 members unless they are all members of the same lodge.

Delegate Eligibility Requirements

(Article XXII, Section 14, Paragraph 3)

In order to be eligible to run for election, all delegates or alternates must have established at least 12 months' seniority rights in the departments coming under the jurisdiction of this Brotherhood and shall be members in good standing (i.e. paid full Grand Lodge, system and subordinate lodge dues) of some subordinate lodge in good standing with the Grand Lodge and shall have at least four months' continuous membership or hold a valid unemployment card at the time of the election and be a member in good standing to June 1 of the convention year provided, however, that the four months' continuous membership qualification will not apply where a new lodge has been established less than four months before the convening of a Grand Lodge convention.

Election of Delegates

(Article XXII, Section 14, Paragraph 4)

All members in good standing are eligible to vote for the election of delegates and alternates. The election must be by secret ballot and must be held on or after January 1, 1998. A secret ballot is required both by the Grand Lodge Constitution and Bylaws and the Federal Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959. Both must be adhered to.

It is extremely important that all members in good standing receive at least 15 days' advance written notice of the date, time and place of the election. A "notice of meeting" card should be sent to the last known address of each member eligible to vote. In calculating the 15-day period, the day the cards are mailed is not counted but the day of the meeting is counted. The posting of meeting notices on bulletin boards, tool sheds, etc., or the distribution to members at the work site does not satisfy the notice requirements.

Subordinate lodge Secretary-Treasurers may request address labels or meeting cards with pre-printed addresses from Grand Lodge if enough advance notice is given. It is their responsibility to check addresses against current membership records to insure that all members receive a notice.

The subordinate lodge or lodges will pay all the expenses of the elected delegate. The alternate will replace the delegate in case he or she is unable to attend the convention.

Delegate Voting Strength

(Article XXII, Section 14, Paragraph 7)

Grand Lodge will compute the number of votes each delegate will carry according to membership records. The number will be set 20 days before the convention opens and no votes shall be added and no duplicate credentials will be accepted after that date.

Who Can Vote?

Only members in good standing are entitled to vote in the election of delegates and alternates to Grand Lodge convention. Retired members who pay full dues or who are Life Members also may vote. However, in order to be considered as a part of the representative votes of a delegate, retiree members must pay full Grand Lodge dues, full system division/federation dues, full subordinate lodge dues and assessments. Members who have a withdrawal card are not eligible to vote. Withdrawal cards are issued if a member leaves the rail industry, is promoted to an official or accepted position with the railroad, transfers to another craft or is an agency or objector fee payer.

Quorum Required For Election

(Article XXII, Section 6, Paragraph 3)

A quorum of at least five members in good standing is required for transacting all subordinate lodge business. If five members in good standing are not present at the election meeting, it must be rescheduled and new notices must be sent out.

Mailing of Credentials

(Article XXII, Section 14, Paragraph 6)

Grand Lodge will issue credentials in sufficient time to reach subordinate lodge Secretary-Treasurers after April 1, 1998. Early elections are requested so that duplicate credentials may be returned to Grand Lodge Secretary-Treasurer by the subordinate lodge Secretary-Treasurer to allow him to complete Grand Lodge records no later than June 21, 1998.

SUMMARY OF REQUIREMENTS FOR ELECTION

Eligibility Requirements

A convention delegate or alternate must:

• Have at least 12 months' seniority rights on a railroad in a department under the BMWE's jurisdiction.
• Have at least four months' continuous membership at the time of election.
• Continue to be a member in good standing to June 1, 1998.
• Represent no more than 500 members unless all are members of one subordinate lodge.

A delegate can represent more than one lodge as long as the total membership does not exceed 500.

Election Rules

The election of delegates of the Grand Lodge convention must:

• Be by a secret ballot.
• Allow members in good standing to vote.
• Be conducted on or after January 1, 1998.
• Be conducted after all members in good standing are given at least 15 days' advance written notice of the date, time and place of the election.
• Be conducted in the presence of at least five lodge members of good standing.

Voting Requirements

Only members in good standing are eligible to vote. To be in good standing, a member must:

• Have paid full Grand Lodge, system and subordinate lodge dues and assessments. (Members with a withdrawal card are ineligible even if they are paying full dues.)
• Have been issued an unemployment card within one year of the election, or
• Be a retired member who has paid full Grand Lodge, system and subordinate lodge dues and assessments or be a Life Member. Retirees who pay retiree dues are ineligible.