DPPA By-Laws

PREAMBLE

We, the Data Processing Professionals of Sacramento County, recognize that responsive and understanding representation in the area of labor relations can be instrumental in improving our professional status and creating conditions that can provide maximum service to the people of the County of Sacramento; we, therefore, enter into this Association and agree to adopt these By-Laws.

The stated Purpose of this Association shall be to represent the membership in negotiations pertaining to employment with the County of Sacramento. The Association shall, as determined by the governing Board of Directors, provide for the financial assistance to membership for matters pertaining to their employment, including but not limited to, the cost legal assistance that a member may incur in a grievance proceeding.

The principal office of the Association for the transaction of its business shall be in Sacramento County, California. The current mailing address of the Association is Post Office Box 576, Sacramento, CA 95812. The Association may have other offices as may from time to time be designated by its Board of Directors.

Those eligible for membership shall be those employees of Sacramento County listed under Representation Unit 028. A Sacramento County payroll deduction form must be completed and signed by each eligible employee in order to become a member. This form must be filed with the Secretary of the Association who must submit it to the Sacramento County business unit responsible for processing payroll deductions. For the purposes of this document, the word “member” and the phrase “voting member” are synonymous.

ARTICLE III - BOARD OF DIRECTORS

A. The Association shall be governed by a Board of Directors (Board) consisting of the elected officers and Members-at-Large.

B. The Board shall have full power and authority to do all acts and perform all functions which the Association might do or perform; including the administration of all business on behalf of the membership within the bounds of authority granted it by that membership, except that it shall have no power to amend the By-Laws. The Board shall direct expenditure of the funds of the Association, but may not direct expenditure of the funds in excess of the current balance of the accounts of the Association, as determined by the Secretary, and shall make an annual report to the Association.

C. A majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. .

D. Members of the Board shall be members of the Association.

E. The term for each member of the Board of directors (Officers and Members-at-Large) is two (2) years or until his or her successor is elected.

F. Should a member of the Board cease to be an employee of Sacramento County, transfer to a position not listed under Representation Unit 028, or terminate the payroll deduction which demonstrates active membership, his or her position on the Board shall be vacated upon the effective date of his or her change in status.

G. Any Association member may attend Board meetings. Board meetings may only be closed for discussion of personnel matters relating to a specific employee.

H. The Board shall meet at least twice a year to discuss Association business. The Board’s meeting shall be set by the President or a quorum of the Board, and the Secretary shall notify all Board members at least seventy-two (72) hours in advance of such meetings. Additional meetings of the Board may be called by the President of the Association or by three (3) members of the Board. Notification of such additional meetings must be given by the Secretary at least forty-eight (48) hours in advance of such meeting.

A. The officers of the Association shall be: President, Vice-President, Treasurer, and Secretary, which persons shall also serve as directors of the Association. The Secretary and Treasurer positions may be filled by the same person who may appoint an assistant to accomplish some or all of the duties of the Secretary. If the Secretary and Treasurer positions are filled by two (2) persons they may assist one another in performance of any of their respective duties.

B. The Officers of this Association shall be elected by a vote of the Association members.

C. The President shall preside over meetings of the Association, and of the Board, appoint all Committee chairpersons and perform all relevant duties usually performed by the president of an organization. When any question of parliamentary law shall arise which are not expressly or by implication provided for by the By-Laws of the Association, the presiding officer shall be guided in his or her decision by the provisions of “Robert’s Rules of Order”.

D. The Vice-President shall perform all the duties of the President during the President’s absence or inability to act and during the period of vacancy in the office of the President.

E. The Secretary shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

1. To receive and answer all communications addressed to him or her, or which may be submitted for such purpose by the other officers of the Association.

2. To serve all notices required by the By-Laws.

3. To take notes and prepare minutes and records of all meetings of the Association and the Board.

F. The Treasurer shall have the following duties and responsibilities:

1. To receive and collect all monies from dues and other sources, and to deposit the same in the financial institution designated by the Board.

2. To pay all valid bills of the Association authorized by the Board and paid by check signed by two (2) of the persons listed on the signature card on file at the financial institution. .

3. To render at each meeting of the Board and of the Association, a full report of all monies received and disbursed by him or her.

4. To promptly deliver up all monies, books, records, and other property of the Association to his or her successor in office, or to whomsoever the Board may appoint to receive same.

5. To perform such other duties as may be required of him or her by the President or by the Board of Directors.

G. The Members-at-Large

1. The Board of Directors shall include three (3) or more positions for Members-at-Large.

2. The number of Members-at-Large positions shall be determined by the existing Board prior to the election.

3. The Members-at-Large on the Board shall be elected by the vote of the Association members.

ARTICLE V - MEETINGS OF THE ASSOCIATION

A. Meetings shall be held at least twice a year at such times and places as may be determined by the Board of Directors for the transaction of such business as may be appropriate.

B. Special meetings of the members may be called by the President, by a majority of the Board of Directors, or by a petition of ten (10) members of the Association, signed and delivered to the President. No business except that for which notice has been given shall be transacted at any special meeting.

C. The Secretary shall provide official notice of the time, place, and purpose of any Association meeting to each member of the Association no less than seventy-two (72) hours prior to such meeting.

D. A minimum of 50 percent of the Board members presently in office present shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business at any meeting of the Association.

A. Official notice may be by e-mail or mail to the member’s home address of record with the County. The notice may provide appropriate details or reference the Association web page for details.

B. Only members of the Association, as defined in Article II, are eligible to vote.

C. A polling committee of at least five (5) members of the Association shall be appointed by the President to count and report the vote. No nominees shall be eligible to serve on this committee.

D. Ballots must be delivered to each voting member of the association according to Section A of this Article no more than twenty (20) nor less than eight (8) days prior to election day.

E. Ballots shall be returned in sealed envelopes to the Association post office address, or hand delivered to the polling committee, no later than 6 p.m. on election day. All ballots shall be sealed in an envelope with the name of the voting member of the association printed on the outside of the envelope. A hand delivered ballot shall replace a ballot from the same voter which was mailed to the post office box. In addition to the foregoing, ballots must conform to the instructions written on or furnished with the ballot.

F. Immediately upon close of the polls the envelopes shall be compared to the list of eligible members of the association. Envelopes from eligible members shall be opened and the envelopes discarded prior to counting the ballots. Replaced ballot envelopes and envelopes from ineligible voters shall be retained unopened in event of a challenge. The eligible ballots shall be counted by the polling committee and the election results shall be reported to the President in writing by the chairperson of the aforementioned committee.

G. The results of the vote shall be provided to the members of the association present at the polling place and by official notice as described in this Article.

A. If the position of any officer or member-at-large (for any reason) shall become vacant prior to the end of the term, a majority of the remaining board members , may elect a successor to hold office for the unexpired portion of the term until his or her successor shall be elected by the Association membership . If the Board is reduced to two members, the two members may select a successor for a third position under this paragraph.

B. The Association Officers and Members-at-Large shall normally be elected in October of the calendar year in which an election is held, and shall assume office at the next regularly scheduled meeting, or as otherwise stipulated on the election ballot.

C. Special elections may be called at the discretion of the Board.

D. At least thirty (30) days prior to the election day the Board shall provide official notice of the election and the nomination process to members of the Association.

E. At least thirty (30) days prior to election day, the President shall appoint a nominating committee consisting of five (5) members of the Association. The Secretary shall, for one week thereafter, accept and report nominations from the general association membership to the nominating committee. Within ten (10) days of appointment, the committee shall meet and propose at least one (1) candidate for each office (Officers and Members-at-Large) Persons so nominated must submit a statement in writing or by e-mail indicating their willingness to serve if elected. The Secretary shall notify the membership of the nominees selected by the nominating committee.

F. Any Association member may be nominated for any office or Member-at-Large position by filing with the Secretary no less than twenty-five (25) days prior to election day, a written nomination signed by at least ten (10) members of the Association. The written nomination must be accompanied by a statement from the person nominated, that he or she will serve if elected.

G. A ballot containing the names of the nominees for each position shall be delivered to each member eligible to vote according to Article VI. The ballot shall designate the name, employing department or agency, and classification of each nominee and shall be in such form and shall contain such instructions as may be prescribed by the Board. Ballots for Members-at-Large positions shall allow casting only one vote for each candidate up to the number of vacant Member-at-Large positions.

H. The nominee for each office receiving the largest number of votes is elected. If two (2) or more nominees for one position receive an equal number of votes, a runoff election between such nominees shall be scheduled within twenty (20) days of the original election. No new nominations shall be accepted for the runoff election.

I. Officers and Members-at-Large who have been elected in the annual election shall be installed in office at the first regularly scheduled meeting, or as otherwise stipulated on the election ballot.

J.  In the event where only one or fewer nominations are made for any position on the board, the nominating committee shall declare that the single nominee has won the election for that position.  The nominating committee shall inform all association members by e-mail or in writing of the results prior to the last designated date for return of the completed ballots.

A. Annual dues shall be determined by the Board with the approval of the majority of members after receiving notice and voting by a ballot according to Article VI. Valid ballots will determine both the amount and the manner of payment of such dues.

B. Special assessments shall be determined by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Association members after receiving notice and voting according to Article VI.

A. The Board of Directors shall be empowered to designate any committee that the Board deems necessary.

B. The term of office of the committee chairperson and the committee members expires at the end of the calendar year which they were appointed or until the purpose for which the committee was formed has been reached.

C. Each committee shall meet at such times and places as the majority of members shall determine or upon the call of the chairperson.

D. Each committee may fix rules for its own government and course of proceedings consistent with these By-Laws and the direction of the Board Directors.

E. Each committee shall maintain a record of its proceedings, to be made available to members of the Board and/or of the Association upon request.”.

A. All elected officers and members of the Board of Directors are subject to recall.

B. A petition for a recall election must be signed by at least twenty-five 25) percent of the members of the Association; it must contain the specific reasons for a recall election and must be filed with the Secretary, who shall be required to make immediate notification to the Board of Directors.

C. A recall election must be conducted according to the same procedure as contained in Articles VI and VII of these By-Laws.

D. An officer or director shall be recalled and disqualified from completing his or her term of office in the event that a 2/3 majority of the association members vote for his or her recall.

E. The successor to a recalled officer or director shall be selected in accordance with Article VII, Section A of these By-Laws.

ARTICLE XI - AMENDMENTS

These By-Laws may be amended by the vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the members voting, provided that an official notice, a description of the proposed amendment, and a ballot shall have been provided to each member of the Association according to Article VI with the following exception: : The vote shall be held on either

1. The date of a meeting of the members called to consider such amendment, or

2. The last designated date for return of the completed ballots to the Association if a meeting is not to be held to consider such amendment(s).

This Association shall be dissolved and its affairs concluded by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the Association’s members.

No individual member of the Association has a vested interest in monies or properties of the Association. If the Association is dissolved, all assets will be contributed to a charitable organization or organizations as directed by the Board of Directors.

A 2/3 majority vote of voting Association members would allow direct or indirect affiliation with or disaffiliation with any regional, state, national, or international organization who have the same interests as the aforementioned Association.

 

Last updated: November 1, 2010