Contracts, Paperwork & Bylaws

Education Association of Natick By-Laws as revised May 25, 2022

Article I. Name

The name of this organization shall be The Education Association of Natick (hereafter, “the Association”).

Article II. Purposes

The purposes of the Association shall be to promote activities in the interests of the members, to create a deeper sense of professional dignity, and to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of education.

Article III. Affiliations

The Association shall be affiliated with the Massachusetts Teachers Association and with the National Education Association.

Article IV. Code of Ethics

The code of ethics for the Association shall be that of the Massachusetts Teachers Association. Copies available to members upon request.

Article V. Membership

Section 1.  Any Natick Public Schools employee who is covered by the Unit A, B, S, or T contracts negotiated between The Education Association of Natick and the Natick School Committee shall become an active member of the Association upon payment of the annual dues. This definition shall include any member who is on a leave of absence.

Section 2.  Any retired educator who has served in this system for at least one year may become an associate member of the Association. Upon payment in full of the required annual dues (Article VI, Section 4) the above shall be granted all the benefits of active membership except the right to vote and the right to hold elected office. However, retired educators may vote for their representative on the Executive Board and a retired educator may hold an elected position on the Executive Board.

Section 3.  To be eligible for any position in the Association one must be an active member at the time of nomination or appointment. Associate members may serve on appropriate committees subject to the approval of the Executive Board.

Article VI. Dues

Section 1.  The fiscal year begins on July 1st. Dues shall be collected through payroll deduction beginning with the first paycheck.

Section 2.  The annual dues shall include the local dues and the dues assessed by the Massachusetts Teachers Association and by the National Education Association.

Section 3.  For Units A, B, and T, Association annual dues will be 15% of the MTA Active Professionals total annual dues. For Unit S, Association annual dues will be $5 per year.  Changes to the dues structure require at least two-thirds of the votes cast in a membership-wide election.

Section 4.  The annual dues for the associate members shall include the dues assessed by the Massachusetts Teachers Association, the National Education Association and one-half the local dues.

Section 5.  The total amount of dues shall be paid by the payroll deduction plan.

Section 6.  The Association shall pay the annual dues assessed by the Massachusetts Teachers Association and the National Education Association.

Article VII. Officers, Executive Board, Delegates and Representatives

Section 1.  The officers of the Association shall be as follows: president (or co-presidents), vice-president, secretary, treasurer, membership chair and grievance chair. The officers, building representatives, retiree representative, and immediate past president(s) shall comprise the Executive Board.

Section 2.  Building representatives shall be determined as follows: one representative for every fifteen members of Unit A per building, two representatives for Unit B (district-wide), two representatives for nurses (district-wide), one representative for every fifteen members of unit S (district-wide), one representative for Title I (district-wide), one representative for pre-school (district-wide), and one representative for alternative education (district-wide).

Section 3. The Executive Board duties shall be

a.   To educate the professional staff members with regard to their rights and responsibilities.

b.   To assure high professional standards in the schools of Natick by interpreting and implementing the code of ethics.

c.   To provide advice and help for members of the professional staff who have problems related to their work or professional welfare, which have not been dealt with satisfactorily through other channels or cannot be.

d.   To negotiate, through a subcommittee or a representative, with the school committee on contract matters under Chapter 149, S 178G-N of the General Laws.

e.   To strive to protect the schools and the members of the profession from contractual misunderstandings.

Section 4: Any Executive Board member failing to adequately perform the above duties as determined by a plurality of the Executive Board may be relieved of their position the remainder of the term.

Section 5.  The President shall appoint representatives to instructional and other meetings.

Article VIII.  Election of Officers and Building Representatives

Section 1.  Election of Interim Officers

a.   The vacancy of any office shall be based upon resignation, inability to perform the duties of the office, or failure to perform the duties of the office (which shall be determined by a quorum of the Executive Board).

b.   Within thirty calendar days of declaration of a vacancy, the Executive Board shall take appropriate action. A successor shall be elected or other arrangements shall be made to insure the continuance of the business and activities of the Association. This decision will be made by a majority vote of the Executive Board.

c.   If the decision is to elect a successor, one or more candidates shall be nominated for the position. First consideration shall be given to the officer next in line if there is one. A candidate may be elected to the office for the unexpired term by a majority vote of the Executive Board.

d.   The Association members shall be notified of the election of the interim office holder or of other arrangements.

Section 2. Election of Representatives to the Executive Board

a.  Building representative and the retiree representative position are for a term of one year, beginning at the June Executive Board Meeting.

b.   The Unit A members in each building shall elect Unit A representatives. To fill Unit A vacancies on the committee occurring between annual elections, Unit A members of the Executive Board shall elect the interim representative(s).

c.   The Unit B members district-wide shall elect Unit B representatives. To fill Unit B vacancies on the committee occurring between annual elections, Unit B members of the Executive Board shall elect the interim representative(s).

d.   The Unit S members district-wide shall elect Unit S representatives. To fill Unit S vacancies on the committee occurring between annual elections, Unit S members of the Executive Board shall elect the interim representative(s).

e.   The Nurse members district-wide shall elect Nurse representatives. To fill Nurse vacancies on the committee occurring between annual elections, Nurse members of the Executive Board shall elect the interim representative(s).

f.   The Title I members district-wide shall elect Title I representatives. To fill Title I vacancies on the committee occurring between annual elections, Title I members shall elect the interim representative(s).

g.   The Pre-school members district-wide shall elect Pre-School representatives. To fill Pre-school vacancies on the committee occurring between annual elections, Pre-school members shall elect the interim representative(s).

h.   The Alternative Education members district-wide shall elect Alternative Education representatives. To fill Alternative Education vacancies on the committee occurring between annual elections, Alternative Education members shall elect the interim representative(s).

i. The Retirees that are associate members shall elect Retiree representatives. To fill Retiree vacancies on the committee occurring between annual elections, Retiree members shall elect the interim representative(s).

Article IX. Duties of the Officers

Section 1.  The president shall preside at all meetings of the Association and of the Executive Board, shall supervise the affairs of the Association, and shall submit an annual report. The president shall be a member ex officio of all committees except the nominating committee.

Section 2.  The vice-president shall perform the duties of the president during their absence or at their request. The vice president shall determine if quorum is reached at any meeting of the Executive board and at any general meeting of the Association.

Section 3.  The secretary shall keep accurate minutes of all meetings of the Executive Board and of the Association and shall assist the president with the Association correspondence.

Section 4.  The treasurer shall keep an accurate record of receipts and disbursements, pay bills and stipends, retain vouchers properly filed for auditing, provide quarterly reports to the Executive Board, make available to members an annual report, submit the Association’s books for auditing at the close of the fiscal year, receive, record, and deposit all dues payments. A second signatory, a member in good standing, shall be listed on the account.

Section 5.  The membership chair shall create and maintain a database of membership and work with the treasurer to conduct general management and maintenance of dues (both active and associate members).

Section 6.  The grievance chair shall process all grievances and assign grievance teams.

Section 7.  The Executive Board shall conduct the general management of the Association, subject to the will of the members of the Association.

Section 8.  MTA delegates and NEA representatives shall report via minutes on the meetings that they attend and shall be reimbursed for necessary expenses upon submitting vouchers.

Section 9.  The immediate past president is the person who served as the present of the Association during the previous term of office. He/she shall advise the Executive Board, assist the officers of the Association, and have voting privileges on the Executive Board.

Section 10.  The EAN officers, Executive Board members, and negotiators shall receive stipends as follows: President: $8000.00 (or $4000.00 per Co-President); Vice President: $2800.00; Secretary: $2800.00; Treasurer: $2800.00; Membership Chair: $2800.00; Grievance Chair: $2800.00; Building representative: $350 per year (must attend at least 2/3 of scheduled monthly meetings and meet the minimum expectations of a building rep per Article VII, Section 3); Units A or B Negotiators: $750 (maximum of 16 positions per school year in which a contract is negotiated); Unit S Negotiators: $275 (maximum of 7 positions per school year in which a contract is negotiated). Changes to the stipend structure require at least two-thirds of the votes cast in a membership-wide election.

Article X. Standing Committees

Section 1.  The Executive Board shall establish committees as deemed necessary.

Section 2.  A Sick Leave Bank Committee will be established at the start of each school year composed of Executive Board members as called for by the contract.

Section 3.  A standing Elections Committee will be established at the start of each school year composed of five members from the Executive Board.  Two of the five members will be current officers who are not running in a contested race. In the event that fewer than two officers are not running in a contested race, those spots will be filled by other Executive Board members. A quorum of the executive board will agree upon the five members. The Elections Committee determines nomination and election procedures and organizes and oversees elections of officers, delegates to the MTA and NEA conventions, and any Association business that requires a membership-wide vote. The Elections Committee will ensure that only active members vote in Association elections. A candidate for an officer position must receive a plurality of votes cast to be elected, and may be elected for more than one term.  Elections of building representatives are not overseen by the Elections Committee, see Article VIII Section 2.

Article XI. Association Meetings

Section 1.  Association meetings shall be held monthly and attended by all members of the Executive Board. Association meetings are open to all members. At the conclusion of each Association meeting, the Executive Board may call an executive session attended only by Executive Board members and individuals invited by the president(s). A plurality (50% + 1) of members of the Executive Board shall constitute a quorum.

Section 2.  Special meetings for specific purposes shall be called by the secretary upon the receipt of a written request signed by the president and three other officers, or signed by 50% of the Executive Board membership, or signed by twenty active members.

Section 3.  Order of General Meetings

a.   Regular Meetings

(1)  Call to order

(2)  Reports of officers and committees

(a)   Treasurer

(b)   Standing committees

(c)   Delegates and Representatives

(d)   Special committees

(3)  Unfinished business

(4)  New business

(5)  Adjournment

b.   Special business meeting

(1)  Call to order

(2)  Specified business

(3)  Adjournment

Article XII. Special Rules of Order

Section 1.  The presiding officer shall ascertain the will of the meeting either by a voice vote or by a show of hands.

Section 2.  Any member may call a division at any time after the question has been put. As soon as a division is called for, the presiding officer  again takes the vote.

Section 3.  Any member at any time may call for a secret ballot. A majority vote is required to order the vote be taken by secret ballot.

Section 4.  A motion to reconsider any vote must be made at the meeting in which the original vote was taken unless at that meeting notice is given of an intention to move the reconsideration at the next regular meeting.

Section 5.  Any motion laid on the table may at the same meeting be taken from the table by a majority vote.

Section 6.  Robert’s Rules of Order Revised shall be the authority upon which all questions of order arising in the Association shall be decided, unless the point is ruled by expressed provisions of the foregoing constitution, bylaws, or rules of order.

Article XIII. Retirement Benefit Fund

Section 1.  Members with twenty-five (25) or more years of membership in the EAN shall receive a sum equal to one (1) full year of his/her dues or $300, whichever is less, upon retirement; those with fifteen (15) to twenty-four (24) years of membership in the EAN, a sum equal to one half (1/2) of a full year of his/her dues or $150, whichever is less; those with ten (10) to fourteen (14) years of membership in the EAN, a sum equal to one-fourth (1/4) of his/her dues or $75, whichever is less.

Article XIV. Suspension and Amendment

This constitution and these bylaws may be amended in the final three months of any school year by a membership-wide vote, provided that the membership has been notified in writing of the proposed change at least ten days prior to the vote.