Article I Dues

Section 1.

The Executive Board of the Professionals Guild shall increase dues as deemed appropriate, such increases shall not exceed the Consumers Price Index for the previous twelve months. Such increases shall take effect in January of each year.

Section 2.

The Executive Board of the Professionals Guild shall have authority to set a lower dues rate than that prescribed herein but shall not have authority to set a higher rate.

Section 3.

Annual dues shall be paid to the Union through a payroll deduction checkoff plan under which the employer deducts union dues from the employee’s wages and remits them to the Union. Dues checkoff authorizations and plans shall, where possible, contain a provision requiring that dues deduction authorization shall be irrevocable except that an employee may revoke the authorization in writing only in accordance with the terms of the collective bargaining agreement with the employer or where the agreement does not contain a procedure for revocation, only during a thirty (30) day period that begins one hundred twenty (120) days prior to the expiration of the agreement. A member desiring to revoke authorization for dues deduction must send timely written notice of the revocation to the Union Executive Board Treasurer. Dues deduction authorizations not timely revoked shall remain in effect continuously.

Section 4.

Members employed by an employer that does not agree to a dues checkoff plan shall pay their dues for the entire year to the Union Executive Board Treasurer in January of each membership year.

Article II Financial Reporting

Section 1.

All financial records of the Professionals Guild of Ohio and its affiliated councils shall be available for inspection by any member of the Professionals Guild.

Section 2.

The Treasurer shall provide or cause to be provided an annual financial report for the previous year. Such report shall be transmitted to the President and the Executive Director not later than January 15 of each year. The Executive Director shall distribute the financial report, through the Councils, to all members.

Article III Loans

Section 1.

No loan shall be made by the Professionals Guild to any member, officer, or employee of the Professionals Guild.

Article IV Conflict of Interest

Section 1.

No officer or employee of the Professionals Guild, their spouses, minor children, or parents shall have any business or financial interest that conflicts with his/her fiduciary obligations to the Professionals Guild.

Article V Democratic Control of Councils

Section 1.

No council shall be permitted to affiliate with the Professionals Guild unless its constitution provides for orderly, democratic control of the council by the membership, including regular membership meetings.

Section 2.

Alleged violations of Section 1 of this Article may be appealed to the Executive Board of the Professionals Guild, pursuant to Article VII, Section 4 of the Constitution.

Article VI Strikes by Council

Section 1.

No strike shall be supported authorized, sanctioned, or endorsed by the Professionals Guild, unless called by a vote of the membership of the affected council.

Section 2.

No strike shall be supported, authorized, sanctioned, or endorsed by the Professionals Guild without the specific, written consent of the Executive Director. Such consent shall be on those terms set by the Executive Director.

Article VII Rules of Order

Section 1.

Except where otherwise provided in the Constitution and By-Laws of the Professionals Guild, Roberts Rules of Order, Revised, shall govern all meetings of the Professionals Guild and its councils.

Article VIII Quorum

Section 1.

Notwithstanding Roberts Rules of Order, a quorum for all membership meetings, the Executive Board meetings, and other meetings of representative bodies in the Professionals Guild shall be defined as those members of the respective body who attend a properly called meeting.

Section 2.

Amendments may be proposed to the membership by a majority of the Executive Board or by a petition signed by twenty percent (20%) of the membership.

Article IX Officers

Section 1.

Upon presentation of a grievance pursuant to Article VII, Section 4, the Executive Board or its designee exercising its discretion in the best interests of the entire PGO organization shall have authority to immediately and temporarily remove council officers from office after notice of the charges, an explanation of the reasons and an abbreviated opportunity to present the officer’s response to the charges.

Section 2.

In the event that the council officer is immediately removed pursuant to this Article, the Executive Board or its designee shall within five (5) business days deliver to the removed officer written charges which include a statement of the offense, and request a written response. Should the officer fail to answer and deny the charges within seven (7) calendar days, the removal shall become permanent. If the officer denies the charges with an explanation within that time, the Executive Board or its designee shall promptly select a date for the hearing, notify the parties and hear the case as expeditiously as possible.

Section 3.

At the hearing, the removed officer may be represented by counsel or other individual and all parties shall have an opportunity to present witnesses, and evidence and be heard before the Executive Board or its designee. Following the hearing, the Executive Board or its designee shall make a binding ruling in the matter which may include reinstatement to office. If the ruling of the Executive Board or its designee is to remove the officer, the office shall be filled by the Executive Board until the next January membership meeting. The removed officer shall be considered as not in good standing for a period of time determined by the Executive Board or its designee.

Section 4.

The removed officer may appeal through channels provided by the Executive Board Within ten (10) calendar days of the Executive Board or designee’s decision, and this organization shall consider itself bound by the resulting ruling.

Section 5.

Subject to the rights provided to union members by Ohio law, the PGO Constitution. and Bylaws, members shall not violate any provision of the PGO Constitution or Bylaws or act to undermine, weaken or interfere with the legitimate interests, relationships, goals, or obligations of PGO and shall not actively engage in activities which support, promote, or encourage any union member to join or create another labor organization competitive to PGO or the AFL-CIO. Any member who violates this provision shall be subject to a fine, suspension for a specific period, expulsion as determined by the Executive Board, or any combination thereof.

Article X Amendment

Section 1.

The By-Laws of the Professionals Guild may be amended by a majority of the Professionals Guild’s members voting on the amendment.

Section 2.

Amendments to the By-Laws may be proposed by a majority vote of the Executive Board or by a petition containing valid signatures of ten percent (10%) of the membership. Unless the Executive Board determines that the amendment requires immediate action, it shall be placed on the ballot at the next regular election of the President of the Professionals Guild of Ohio.