GATEWAY LERA BY-LAWS

GATEWAY LABOR AND EMPLOYER RELATIONS ASSOCIATION

BY-LAWS

I. Name

This Association shall be known as the Gateway Labor and Employer Relations Association (LERA-Gateway).

II. Purpose

The Association shall exist to:

1. Offer meetings, conferences, seminars, symposiums, and other forums, including electronic media, to inform the general membership on topics related to industrial relations.

2. Promote the full discussion and the exchange of ideas between and among all constituencies – academia, labor, management, neutral and public – on the research findings and the usefulness and application of that research to practice and policy in industrial, employment and labor relations.

3. Encourage research in the field of labor, employment, and the workplace.  Research shall encompass the following:  employer and employee organization, employment and labor relations, human resources, labor markets, income security and other related ideas.  The research may be conducted by specialists from disciplines such as industrial relations, management, labor studies, human resources, economics, law, political science, psychology and sociology.

III. Neutrality

The Association will take no partisan attitude on questions of policy in the field of labor-management relations, nor will it commit its members to any position on such questions.

The Association affirms its support for fundamental and human rights in the workplace and for the rights of employees, employers, and their organizations to exercise their full freedom to organize and administer their activities and to formulate and pursue their lawful purpose.

IV. Non-Profit Status

No part of the income of the Association shall inure to the benefit of, or be distributable to, is members, officers, or other private persons, except that the Association shall be authorized and empowered to pay reasonable compensation for services rendered and to make payments and distributions in the furtherance of the purposes set forth herein.  No substantial part of the activities of the Association shall be the carrying on of propaganda or otherwise attempting to influence legislation, and the Association shall not participate in or intervene in (including the publishing or distribution of statements) any political campaign on behalf of any candidate for public office.  Notwithstanding any other provision of these by-laws, the Association shall not carry on any other activities not permitted to be carried on by an organization:

1.     exempt from Federal income tax under Section 501(c)(3) of the

                        Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of

                        any future United States Internal Revenue Law); or

2.     whose contributions are deductible under Section 170(c)(2) of the

                        Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any

                        future United States Internal Revenue Law).

Upon dissolution of the Association, the Executive Board, after paying or making provision for the payment of all the liabilities of the Association, shall dispose of all the assets of the Association exclusively for the purposes of the Association in such a manner, or to such organization or organizations organized and operated exclusively for charitable, educational, religious or scientific purposes as shall at the time qualify as an exempt organization or organizations under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 (or the corresponding provision of any future United States Internal Revenue Law), as the Executive Board shall determine. 

V. Membership

Any person or organization interested in the purposes of the Association may become a member.  Membership dues are set by the Executive Board. The Association offers the following four (4) types of annual membership:

1. Individual Member- these voting members have rights associated with general membership, however, these members are required to pay registration fees for all programs to cover the cost of meals, facilities and other expenses associated with offering the programs/conferences.

2.  Co-sponsoring Organizational Member – these voting members have all rights associated with general membership.  Co-Sponsoring members have no cost to attend regular programs of the Association.  This type of membership qualifies an organization for up to four (4) individuals to attend all programs during the calendar year.  For an additional fee established by the Board, Co-sponsors can increase the number of organizational members that can attend programs.  Please note that some non-regular, events have a registration fee that cannot be waived.

3.  Patron Member – these voting members have all rights associated with general membership including the right to attend meetings and conferences. The membership dues paid by a patron member have no cost for (1) individual to attend all regular programs of the Association.  Please note that some non-regular, events have a registration fee that cannot be waived.

4.  Student Member (graduate and undergraduate) – students may attend all regular programs at one-half of the regular cost.

VI. Duties of the Executive Board and Officers

The Association shall have the following elected officers:  President, President-Elect, Vice- Membership/Publicity/Website Management, Secretary, and Treasurer, whose terms shall be for one (1) year or until their successors are elected and installed. If an officer is unable to serve or is removed from office, the President may appoint a replacement to complete the balance of the vacated term.

The Executive Board shall include the above elected officers, the immediate Past-President, and members at-large appointed by the elected officers.  Members at large shall be appointed for one (1) year terms. The Executive Board shall conduct the business of the Association and shall have control and management of the funds of the Association.  It may adopt any rules or regulations for the conduct of business not inconsistent with the By-laws.  It may assign additional duties to the above officers as necessary.

1. A quorum of the Executive Board shall consist of six (6) voting members or 50% of the Executive Board, whichever is less.

2. Under extraordinary circumstances requiring prompt action, the Executive Board may meet by telephone or other electronic means upon forty-eight (48) hours-notice.

3. The President or any other Officer may call for a Special Meeting.

4. There are 6 Board Meetings a year and Board Members are expected to participate at least 3 meetings or programs and/or send a proxy to remain in good standing.

Officers shall be elected at the Annual Meeting.

The Executive Board shall appoint a nominating committee to present names of available members for association officers.  Further nominations may be made at the election meeting prior to the voting for the respective officers.

The Executive Board may create Ad Hoc committees as needed.

Duties of the Officers are as follows:         

President –shall preside at all business meetings of the Association and at all meetings of the Executive Board. The president shall serve in an ex-officio capacity on all Association committees. In case of disability, necessary absence, or vacancy of office, the duties of the president shall be performed by the president-elect pending cessation of such disability or absence or until the expiration of the term.  When possible, the president shall be rotated each election among the following three groups: Labor; Management; and Government/Education/Neutral/Other.

President-Elect – shall serve as Assistant to the President and shall move directly to the presidency at the end of the president’s term of office and shall obtain facilities, space, food, beverages, conduct registrations at the conferences; and perform such other duties as the Executive Board may assign to support the Association programs.

Secretary – shall record the business meetings of the Executive Board, inform the Board members of meetings, and provide minutes of each meeting.  Where feasible or desirable, the president may direct available administrative support staff to take the minutes.

Treasurer – shall keep the records of the Association; receive and have the custody of the funds of the Association, pay all Association expenses, interact as needed with financial institutions, and all other related financial duties as assigned by the Executive Board.

Vice-President of Membership, Website Management, & Publicity – shall oversee recruitment of new members, the maintenance of all records of current members, and conduct of all related membership functions, maintain and update the LERA Gateway Association website and promote the activities of the Association and communicate events to the membership and public.

VII. Executive Director

The Association’s officers, in consultation with the full board, are empowered to select and retain an Executive Director.  Duties of the Executive Director will be assigned by the Association’s officers.  The Executive Director will serve as an ex officio member of the Executive Board.

VIII. Programs and Conferences

The Association shall serve the general membership by offering at least three (3) conferences or programs each year.  The Association’s program year shall be a fiscal year and shall be from January 1 through December 31. The immediate Past-President will serve as the Director of Programming, who shall organize the programs, obtain speakers, panels, prepare the program notice and perform related activities.

IX. Annual Meeting

The association will hold an annual meeting once a year.  With notice, this meeting may be held in conjunction with a regularly scheduled business meeting or program.  The Annual Meeting will be held during the second quarter of the calendar year.  As part of the Annual Meeting, an annual report will be presented to the membership.  New officers will be voted on at the Annual Meeting as well as any proposed changes to the bylaws.

X. Amendments or Changes to the By-Laws

Before voting on changes, proposed changes shall be communicated to the general membership at least five (5) working days prior to the annual meeting.  Amendments or proposed changes that have been approved by the Executive Board may be adopted at a regular meeting where a quorum is present and where the proposed change is supported by (a majority) of the member’s present.  A quorum at a regular business meeting shall be 20 members in good standing or 20% of the membership, whichever is less.

Amended and Approved by the Membership

At the June 7, 2017 Meeting