Preamble

In many problem areas, the most important thing you can do is to contact the union early and ask for help. While PGO staff is often busy, and your problem may not seem worth bothering us about. In reality, we would much rather know what’s going on before the problem gets out of control. So, talk to us!

Your first line of help is your local steward. When you have a problem, this is the person you should see. You will also have a chief steward or council president backing up your steward. If you aren’t sure who these folks are, call our office for their names.

Finally, backing up the steward, chief steward, and council president is the PGO Central Office staff. They can be reached by calling, writing, or emailing. All the numbers and addresses are listed above.

Article I Name

This organization shall be known as the Professionals Guild of Ohio ("PGO") This document shall be officially known as the Constitution of PGO and it shall be the Constitution of every affiliated subordinate body. 

Article II Purpose

The purpose of PGO shall be to protect the welfare and advance the interests of its members, foster professionalism, promote the welfare of persons served by its membership, to cooperate with any group which meets with the approval of the Executive Board, and to sponsor or promote by the means deemed most desirable in an active and purposeful manner any issue or activity that the Executive Board determines would advance the objectives of PGO and promote the common good of the membership.

Article III Affiliation

PGO shall maintain affiliation and, wherever possible, send delegates to such organizations as the Executive Board of PGO shall determine to be in the best interests of the membership.

Every reasonable effort shall be made by this organization to pay the legitimate expenses of delegates to meetings and conventions of affiliated organizations.

Article IV Membership

Those eligible for membership in the PGO include employees in the Civil Service of Ohio, its counties, townships, and municipalities. 

Other persons, groups, or organizations may be admitted to membership by the Executive Board.

Those not eligible for membership in the PGO are all personnel employed to manage Guild members.

Members may be expelled in conformity with procedures adopted by their councils and for just and reasonable cause. However, an expelled member may appeal to the Executive Board. Following a full hearing, the Executive Board shall make a binding ruling in the matter. Any expelled member may subsequently appeal his expulsion through channels provided by the Executive Board, and this organization shall consider itself bound by the resulting ruling.

Any member who fails to pay dues at the times, in the manner, or in the amount ordered by the Executive Board shall be dropped from the membership rolls.

Article V Executive Board

The Executive Board of this organization shall consist of the following: the officers of the Guild (president, vice-president, secretary, and treasurer) and the delegates of the several councils.

Council delegates shall be apportioned as follows:

1 – 100 Council members…………………………...2 delegates
101 – 150 Council members……………………….3 delegates
151 – 200 Council members……………………….4 delegates
201 or more Council members……………………5 delegates

Each Council shall have its total number of delegates reduced by the number of officers of the Guild who are members of that Council.

The chairperson of the Executive Board shall be the President.

The Executive Board shall have the power to employ an Executive Director whose work shall be overseen by the President. The Executive Director shall hire, fire, and supervise all other employees. No employee or applicant for employment shall be subject to any discrimination because of his/her race, religious faith, sex, marital status, sexual preference, or political affiliation.

The Executive Board shall have the power to make contracts and incur liabilities that may be appropriate to enable it to accomplish any or all of its objectives; to borrow money s purposes under such terms and conditions as it may determine; and to secure any of its obligations by a mortgage, pledge or deed of trust of all or any of its property or income.

The Executive Board shall have the power to establish the amount (subject to the approval of the membership), the manner, and time of the collection of membership dues for this organization.

All powers and duties delegated to the Executive Board by this Constitution shall be deemed to be exclusively delegated to the Executive Board and may not be exercised by any other body or organization of the PGO.

Article VI Officers

a.      Nominations for officers and delegates to the Ohio AFL-CIO shall be made by a Nominations Committee composed of one member chosen by each Council. Additional nominations may be made by a petition signed by one percent (1%) of the membership and presented to the Executive Director not later than April 15 of an odd number of years.

b.      Ballots containing the names of nominees and a place for write-in candidates shall be forwarded to each Council by the Secretary. Each Council shall permit its members in good standing to secretly mark such ballots and shall return them to the Secretary. All ballots must be returned prior to June 15.

c.      The candidates receiving the plurality of votes cast shall be declared elected and shall assume his/her duties on June 20 for a period of two years.

d.      Delegates to local AFL-CIO Central Labor Councils shall be elected in conformity with the policy of the affected Council.



f.       Vacancies in offices shall be temporarily filled by the Executive Board until the next biennial election. However, a vacancy in the office of the President shall be filled by the Vice-President.

a.      President – shall preside at all membership and Executive Board meetings.

b.      Vice-President – shall assume the duties of the President in his/her absence or disability and shall undertake tasks assigned by the President.

c.      Secretary – shall keep or cause to be kept records of meetings.

d.      Treasurer – shall receive all money belonging to this organization, make payments when properly authorized, and keep or cause to be kept an itemized account of receipts and expenditures of this organization and its affiliate Councils. He/she shall be covered by a bond paid for by this organization.

Article VII Councils

The membership of this organization shall be divided into Councils composed of members employed by a single employer.

Each Council shall have a constitution that shall determine the manner of conducting the Council’s internal affairs, including the use of dues monies collected for the Council, relations with the employer of its members, the selection of delegates to the local Central Labor Council, and the election of officers.

Each council constitution shall be considered a part of this Constitution, except that it shall not be subject to Article VIII of this Constitution. If a Council constitution conflicts with any provisions of this Constitution, the provisions of this Constitution shall control.

If a member has a grievance against any other member or officer of this Council he/she may present the such grievance in writing to the Executive Board. Following a full and impartial hearing, the Executive Board or its designee shall issue a final and binding ruling on the grievance.

Article VIII Amendments

This Constitution may be amended by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the membership.

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.

Amended April 4, 2024