Constitution & Bylaws

Voted on by the membership on 03/26/2024.

This organization shall be known as United Faculty of Florida – College of the Florida Keys (hereafter UFF-CFK), an affiliate of the Florida Education Association (FEA), the National Education Association (NEA), the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). 

Section 1. To bring together regular, full-time faculty, Assistant Director of the Learning Resources Center, Assistant Director of Student Services, and academic advisors (hereafter referred to as the bargaining unit) of the College of the Florida Keys (hereafter CFK) into relations of mutual assistance and cooperation in order to obtain rights and privileges to which they are entitled. 

Section 2. To represent said bargaining unit in collective bargaining. 

Section 3. To retain high-quality, dedicated faculty and staff at CFK. 

Section 4. To achieve and safeguard due process and academic freedom. 

Section 5. To promote academic excellence in Florida’s institutions of higher education. 

Section 6. To strengthen the well-being of the people of Florida through teaching and community service. 

Section 7. To promote democratization of Florida colleges and universities to better serve students and citizens. 

Section 8. To combat all forms of discrimination based on age, gender identity, marital status, mental disability, national origin, physical disability, political belief, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation. 

Section 9. To take appropriate action in order to safeguard rights guaranteed under the Constitutions of the United States of America and the State of Florida and to encourage the promotion of legislative action to improve economic and educational conditions.

Section 1. Those eligible for active membership will be all regular, full time faculty (instructional employees), the Assistant Director of the Learning Resources Center, the Assistant Director of Student Services, and academic advisors (hereafter collectively referred to as bargaining unit) employed by CFK who meet the unit determination as established by the Florida Public Employee Relations Committee. 

A. An active member is a member in good standing who has paid dues.

B. Membership shall be continuous until the member ceases to be employed by CFK, resigns from the UFF-CFK, no longer meets qualifications, or fails to pay membership dues. Membership may begin at any time during the year upon completion of a membership application and payment of dues. Membership may be terminated with thirty (30) days written notice to UFF-CFK.

C. Membership will not be terminated while a member is involved in a process of dismissal or non-renewal of contract. Members are required to maintain membership throughout the grievance, arbitration, and/or appeal process to receive representation. 

D. A member may be expelled for acts detrimental to UFF-CFK upon presentation of written charges signed by at least 25% of the total membership and approved by at least 75% of the Executive Council (see Bylaw II). The accused member shall have the right to appeal the decision to the membership at the following regular membership meeting and shall be reinstated with full rights if the majority of members present vote to reinstate. At every step of the procedure, the accused member’s right to due process shall be protected meticulously. 

Section 2. An active member on leave of absence of at least six (6) months shall be eligible for reserve membership, and active members who retire from CFK may retain membership as retired members. Members on sabbatical may retain active membership. 

Section 3. No discrimination shall ever be shown toward members or applicants for membership because of age, gender identity, marital status, mental disability, national origin, political belief, physical disability, race, religion, or sexual orientation. 

Section 4. Members shall also be members of the FEA, the NEA, the AFT, and the AFL-CIO. 

Section 5. UFF-CFK will be obliged to provide full benefits of membership to members only. UFF-CFK shall not be required to extend benefits of membership or defend a member for actions prior to membership.

Section 6. Members will be entitled to the privilege of the floor and the right to vote on all matters considered at general membership meetings as well as to attend and to be granted the floor at Executive Council meetings. 

Section 7. General meetings for the full membership shall be held at least once a year.  Meetings will be announced at least one week in advance by the President or their designee upon the recommendation of the Executive Council. 

Section 1. UFF-CFK shall have a governing body called the Executive Council. The Executive Council shall consist of active members and shall administer the policy of UFF-CFK as set by the vote of the membership at a meeting of the membership. The Executive Council shall be empowered to act in and on behalf of the membership in emergency situations requiring action which cannot be delayed until a meeting of the membership can be called. Any action by the Executive Council must receive the affirmative vote by the majority of the Executive Council to be effective. 

Section 2. The Executive Council shall consist of all elected officers:  President, Vice President, Secretary/Treasurer, UFF Senators, Campus Representatives, and standing committee chairs. 

Section 3. The Executive Council shall meet at least one time each semester (fall and spring). Any member may attend the Executive Council meetings but only Executive Council members may vote. The President shall be the chairperson of the Executive Council. The Executive Council shall set the meeting times, and the President or their designee shall announce the meeting time and place at least one week prior to the meeting. The Executive Council shall report its activity at each membership meeting. 

Section 4. The Executive Council may dismiss an Executive Council member who does not attend three consecutive official meetings of UFF-CFK (Executive Council and general membership) and who has been given due notice of the possibility of such a dismissal. Any such dismissal shall be by majority vote of the Executive Council. The President shall appoint a new Executive Council member, with Executive Council’s approval, to serve the remainder of the term. 

Section 5. The President shall be a non-voting member of the Executive Council, with the following exceptions: (1) the President can break a tied vote; (2) the President must vote on an action to expel a member. 

Section 6. The President shall be one of the Senators. The other Senator will be the chair of the Bargaining Committee.

Section 1. The elected officers shall be the President (Senator; Delegate), Vice President (Alternate Senator; Alternate Delegate), Secretary/Treasurer (Alternate Senator), Bargaining Committee Chair (Senator; Chief Negotiator), Grievance Committee Chair, Membership Committee Chair, Key West Campus Representative, and Upper Keys Center Representative. Each officer must be an active member in good standing of UFF-CFK.

Section 2. The term of each office shall be two years, after which an election must be held. A member may be elected to consecutive terms for the same office. 

Section 3. In the event that an officer resigns for any reason or is no longer in good standing, the office shall be vacated. The President shall appoint a new officer with Executive Council’s approval, to serve the remainder of the term.

Section 1. The duties of the President shall be: 

A. To preside at all meetings of UFF-CFK members and of the Executive Council. 

B. To work actively to recruit and maintain membership in UFF-CFK, to facilitate cohesion and communication among members, and to initiate new eligible members to UFF-CFK in coordination with the Membership Committee. 

C. To serve as a member of all committees ex officio. 

D. To sign all necessary papers and documents. 

E. To represent UFF-CFK when and where necessary. 

F. To serve as a member of the United Faculty of Florida Council of Presidents, as a Senator in the United Faculty of Florida’s Senate, and as a UFF Delegate in the Florida Education Assocation’s Delegate Assembly. 

G. To make an annual report to the membership of UFF-CFK. 

Section 2. The duties of the Vice President shall be: 

A. To serve as a member of the Executive Council. 

B. To perform all duties of the President in the absence of that officer. 

C. To issue all notices. 

D. To answer correspondence at the direction of the President. 

E. To report outside correspondence to the President and Executive Council. 

F. To keep up-to-date records of the names, addresses, home phone numbers, and office phone numbers of all members of the bargaining unit.

G. To serve as an Alternate Senator in the United Faculty of Florida’s Senate and as a UFF Alternate Delegate in the Florida Education Assocation’s Delegate Assembly.

H. To perform such other duties as are determined by the President and by the Executive Council. 

Section 3. The duties of the Secretary/Treasurer shall be: 

A. To serve as a member of the Executive Council. 

B. To record minutes of meetings of the Executive Council and of the membership. 

C. To receive, record, and deposit in the name of UFF-CFK all monies from dues and all other sources. 

D. To keep the membership roll. 

E. To forward all per capita dues and current membership lists to any affiliate organizations which so require. 

F. To prepare and present a proposed budget for the fiscal year from September 1 through August 31 for adoption by the membership prior to July 15 each year. 

G. To present a written budget report to the membership once a year. 

H. To keep adequate records, available at all times to the Executive Council. 

I. To pay by check, signed by the Treasurer and an additional Executive Council member, all bills authorized by the adopted budget and to retain vouchers or invoices for the same. Expenses not authorized by the budget must be presented to the Executive Council. 

J. To perform such other duties as are determined by the President or by the Executive Council. 

K. To serve as an Alternate Senator in the United Faculty of Florida’s Senate.

Section 4. The duties of a Senator shall be: 

A. To serve as a member of the Executive Council. 

B. To represent UFF-CFK in the Senate of the United Faculty of Florida. 

C. To perform such other duties as are determined by the President or by the Executive Council. 

Section 5. The duties of the Campus Representatives shall be: 

A. For both, to serve as members of the Executive Council. 

B. One (1) member, to serve as a Campus Representative for the Key West Campus. 

C. One (1) member, to serve as a Campus Representative for the Upper Keys’ centers (hereafter all campuses and centers outside of the Key West campus will be collectively designated as Upper Keys). 

D. For both, to represent UFF-CFK to the members and eligible members of the Key West and Upper Keys campuses. 

E. For both, to foster communication between the campus membership and the Executive Council. 

F. For both, to communicate the concerns and ideas of the campus membership to the Executive Council.

G. For both, to perform such other duties as are determined by the President or by the Executive Council. 

Section 6. Duties of the standing committee chairs: 

A. The Bargaining Committee Chair shall serve as the Chief Negotiator and as a Senator in the United Faculty of Florida’s Senate. 

B. The Grievance Committee Chair, or designee, shall draft all grievances and prepare documentation for arbitration.

C. The Membership Committee Chair shall liaise with new bargaining unit members and new UFF-CFK members. 

Section 1. Elections of the Executive Council officers will be decided by a majority of those voting. 

Section 2. All Executive Council officer elections will be conducted by secret ballot. Regular Executive Council officer elections will be held during the spring term, no later than April 15.  Executive Council officers will take office the following August 1. 

Section 3. The term of an officer will be for two years. The names of the officers will be submitted to UFF within fifteen days of their election/appointment. 

Section 4. Membership in good standing is required for election to any Chapter position. 

Section 5. For regular elections, a call for nominations for elected positions shall be made no less than thirty (30) calendar days prior to election. Nominations shall be due no less than fourteen (14) days prior to the election. The following procedures shall be utilized for the election of officers.

A. Election voting shall be conducted by secret ballot. Every UFF-CFK member in good  standing according to the Treasurer’s membership roll is eligible to vote.  

B. A majority vote by the UFF-CFK members shall be required to elect officers.  

C. Newly elected officers will take office on August 1. Newly elected officers should attend all meetings  upon certification of the election in order to provide continuity.  

D. All elections must conform with the Landrum-Griffith Act. All completed ballots  must be retained for three (3) years after an election. They may be inspected by any  member.  

E. In situations where an elected officer is not able to complete the term in office, the  officer (or designate) must tender a letter of resignation unless they are leaving the Bargaining Unit because their contract with the College was not renewed, they are resigning from the College, or they transferred into a non-Bargaining Unit position at the College.

Section 6. The following officers shall be elected bi-annually by members of UFF-CFK. 

A. President (Senator; Delegate)
B. Vice President (Alternate Senator; Alternate Delegate)
C. Secretary/Treasurer (Alternate Senator)
D. Bargaining Committee Chair (Senator; Chief Negotiator)
E. Grievance Committee Chair
F. Membership Committee Chair
G. Key West Campus Representative
H. Upper Keys Representative

Section 7. Officers must be active members in good standing prior to assuming office.

Section 8. For regular elections, nominations for office shall be made by email or at a membership meeting. Nominations shall be made with due regard to diverse representation. 

Section 9. Officers shall be elected by secret ballot. Ballots shall be prepared and provided to each member in good standing. Only ballots returned to the Elections Committee on or before the specified date shall be counted. The candidate receiving the majority of the votes cast for each office shall be declared elected. Balloting is not required for uncontested elections, in which only one (1) nomination is put forward for each position. In such cases, the nominee will be considered elected by acclamation. 

Section 10. The term of office shall be two (2) years and shall begin on August 1 after the election. The President-elect, if not a current member of the Executive Council, shall serve as an ex officio member on the Executive Council without voting privileges. If the President-elect is a current Executive Council member, they will retain voting privileges appropriate to the current office. 

Section 11. In the event that a vacancy occurs in the presidency, the Vice President shall immediately assume the presidency for the remainder of the term. The completion of this term will not count as a term of service of the President-elect if they assume the role and seek election for President. 

Section 12. A recall election may occur for an officer (elected or appointed) for failure to perform the duties of the office, for malfeasance, or for other good cause shown. A recall election shall be held upon petition for the same signed by twenty-five percent (25%) or more of the membership. 

Section 1. The standing committees shall include the following: Bargaining Committee, Membership Committee, and Grievance Committee. Ad hoc committees may include, but are not limited to, the Elections Committee, the Constitution and Bylaws Committee, the Social Committee, and other committees as convened by the Executive Council. Nominations shall be made with due regard to diverse representation. 

Section 2. The Bargaining Committee will discuss issues pertaining to negotiations and will represent the membership in the negotiations of contracts. With the exception of the Bargaining Committee Chair who is elected, Bargaining Committee members shall be appointed by the President with majority approval of the Executive Council to serve for the duration of the upcoming contract negotiations and for a longer period as the Bargaining Committee and Chief Negotiator agree shall be necessary. The Executive Council shall accept self-nominations and nominations from UFF-CFK members to serve on the Bargaining Committee in a non-Chief-Negotiator capacity. 

Section 3. The Chief Negotiator shall serve as the Bargaining Committee Chair with the authority to make decisions affecting the process of negotiating. The Chief Negotiator need not be a member of UFF-CFK, so long as the Chief Negotiator is an active member of another UFF chapter or an employee or agent of UFF. In the event that the Chief Negotiator is not a member of UFF-CFK, they will not serve on the Executive Council. 

Section 4. The Bargaining Committee shall consist of a least two (2) members, but no more than five (5) members, including the Chief Negotiator. 

Section 5. A Bargaining Committee member, including the Chief Negotiator, may be removed by a majority vote of the Executive Council for failure to perform the duties of the committee membership, for malfeasance, or for other good cause shown. 

Section 6. The Executive Council, and other members of the Bargaining Committee, will present all proposed contracts to all eligible members of the bargaining unit for ratification. Final ratification of all contracts will require a majority vote of the votes cast by secret ballot. All members of the UFF-CFK bargaining unit will be able to vote on the contract. 

Section 7. The Membership Committee shall be responsible for recruiting new members, orienting new eligible members of the bargaining unit to UFF-CFK, and implementing a plan for growth and sustainability. 

Section 8. The Grievance Committee shall evaluate potential grievances and process those determined to have merit in accordance with the Collective Bargaining Agreement and the policies of the United Faculty of Florida. A Grievance Committee member may be responsible for representing members as requested. The Grievance Committee shall consist of no more than five members. 

Section 9. The Elections Committee shall be convened at least thirty (30) days prior to any general membership vote. The Elections Committee will be responsible for administering votes.

Section 1. The annual dues for active members shall be a percentage of the annual contracted salary determined by the Senate of the United Faculty of Florida. 

Section 2. The annual dues for Reserve members shall be an amount determined by the Senate of the United Faculty of Florida. 

Section 3. The dues for Retired members shall be an amount determined by the Senate of the United Faculty of Florida.

Robert’s Rules of Order, Revised, shall govern for the conduct of the Executive Council and general membership meetings, unless an alternative rules of order is approved by the majority of members voting.

Section 1. A quorum for Executive Council meetings will be the majority of its voting members. 

Section 2. A quorum for general membership will be at least 30% of the members. Voting may take place at the general membership meeting or electronically, as appropriate. 

Section 3. A quorum for any other committee meeting will be a majority of its voting members. 

Section 1. An Officer or Senator may be recalled from office for failure to perform the duties of the office, for malfeasance in office, or for other good cause shown. The process for removal from office shall be as follows. 

A. A Bill of Particulars stating the specific failure to perform the duties of the office, or other good cause must be drawn up and signed by twenty-five percent (25%) of the UFF-CFK members as a petition for removal. 

B. The Bill shall then be presented to the Executive Council which shall by majority vote determine if the Bill is sufficient for referral to the UFF-CFK membership for a recall election. 

C. A special meeting of the membership must be held within ten (10) work days after the Executive Council’s referral, at which meeting the Bill will be presented by one of the petition signers, and at which meeting the officer or Senator subject to recall will have the right to present oral and written arguments in defense, and at which meeting members may debate the issue. The officer or Senator subject to recall shall have the privilege of speaking last. 

D. Within thirty (30) days of the special meeting, a secret ballot election shall be held in which all members of the chapter shall have the ability to vote on the matter. If two thirds of the members vote in favor of the recall, the officer shall be immediately removed from office. If the two-thirds majority of voting members is not achieved, the officer shall be retained. 

Section 1. Any member may request that the Executive Council propose an amendment to the Bylaws. 

Section 2. If an amendment has been proposed, the Executive Council will form an ad hoc Constitution and Bylaws committee to research and make a recommendation. The Executive Council will then take action on the proposed amendment. 

Section 3. Following the recommendations by the Constitution and Bylaws Committee the Executive Council may propose amendments to these Bylaws by a majority vote. The Executive Council must notify members at least seven (7) days prior to the general membership meeting. The proposed amendment must be ratified by an affirmative vote of at least sixty percent (60%) of the voting members. The ratification vote will be made by electronic ballot or at a general membership meeting. 

Copies of these Bylaws and all future amendments shall be submitted to the United Faculty of Florida and any affiliated organization that so requests. 

The provision of these Bylaws will become effective immediately upon their approval by the membership.