2023-11-20
Motion to Limit Ability of Member in Good Standing to Run for Election to President or Vice-President AMAPCEO
Citations: AMAPCEO 2023 ADC Materials -
- not sure these are available to members in good standing but they should be
AMAPCEO Constitution: https://amapceo.on.ca/governance Publicly Available
There is a motion to be brought to the 2023 Annual Delegates' Conference that would restrict the ability for members in good standing (dues paying members) to run for the Position of President ($191,000 plus benefits) or Vice President ($161,000 plus benefits) to only those members who currently or previously held a position on the Board of Directors.
Now some of you may say that's a really good idea because you want someone with experience to be in those roles. Well let me disavow you of that idea. I have served two terms on the Board of Directors, one of them as Chair of the Board and I can tell you from personal experience that this motion, if passed will severely constrain the democratic process to an elite group of individuals some of whom have retired, some have passed on, others feel they have served their time and want to pursue other interests and others well, have hung around and hope to be included in this number which I believe may be less than 30. Our current membership is 15, 000 people from 13 different bargaining units.
In 2022 there was a Constitutional Review Committee established and made recommendations for changes to the Constitution. None of these included any reference to the current motion presented by he Board of Directors. There isn't a hint or a whisper in the report of the Constitutional Review Committee that would indicate this point was ever discussed. Now on that committee were two current board members. Dave Bulmer, President and Suzanne Conquer the West Region District Director. The remaining members were delegates and a Director who has left AMAPCEO to pursue other interests.
I cite article 3 of the current Constitution (actually it has been unchanged since the original version) which states:
3. AMAPCEO shall be operated without purpose of pecuniary gain to any of the members, and any surplus or accretions of AMAPCEO shall be used solely for the purpose of the organization and the promotion of its objectives.
When an executive supports an amendment to the Constitution that would severely narrow the field of competitors to a select few, would one not logically think that this action would be in direct violation of this article?
Maybe I am wrong, and I hope I am, but I am just presenting the facts as I understand them.
Food for thought
BTW I am eligible to run for President next year if this passes. Hmmmmmmmmm
Theresa
