AFGE LOCAL OFFICERS

A M E R I C A N F E D E R AT I O N O F G O V E R N M E N T E M P L OY E E S , A F L - C I O

AFGE LOCAL OFFICERS

Resource Guide

2 ND E D I T I O N

AMERICAN FEDERATION OF

GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES, AFL-CIO

Education and Leadership Development Department

80 F Street, NW

Washington, DC 20001



education.

? 2007

AFGE Local Officers Resource Guide

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

his guide includes resources designed to help AFGE Local Officers educate

and lead the local union. It contains information on the roles and responsibilities

of local union officers as well as useful tools for developing union activists and

mentoring them in their union work. Keep this guide handy and use the resources

in this book in one-on-one education sessions with officers, stewards, and members.

T

Stewards and other union activists will find the information contained

in this guide useful in building confidence in performing their duties

and gaining a more complete understanding of the goals and objectives

of AFGE and the local union.

The information and materials outlined in this guide are also available online

at education..

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/ education.

Table of Contents

1. Primary Goal of Local Officers:

Building a Strong Local Union . . . . . . . . .5

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Involving And Educating The Membership

6. Local Treasurer: Duties

and Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .37

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Duties And Responsibilities

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Identifying And Encouraging New Leaders

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Handling Expenditures

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The Three Key Functions of AFGE:

Organizing, Representation, and

Legislative and Political Action

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Expense Vouchers: Guidelines

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Financial Reports

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Local Accounting System

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AFGE Local Collection Of Dues Program

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The Local Membership Database:

Keeping It Up Date

2. How AFGE Operates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .9

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Union Profile

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AFGE Governance And Organizational Structure

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Duties Of National Officers And Staff

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AFGE Departments

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Where Do Our Union Dues Go?

7. Local Secretary: Duties

and Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45

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Duties And Responsibilities

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AFL-CIO Structure

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Meeting Minutes: The Official Record

Of Union Business

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Order Of Business In Union Meetings

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Local Filing System

3. Fiduciary Responsibilities

of Local Officers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .21

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Fiduciary Responsibilities Under The Law

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Fiduciary Responsibilities Under

The AFGE Constitution

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Union And Local Operating Practices

8. Local Executive Board and

Local Union Committees . . . . . . . . . . . .51

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Duties And Responsibilities

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Breach Of Fiduciary Responsibilities

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Local Union Committees

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Checks And Balances¨CAnnual Local Audit

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¡ö

Completing A Local Audit

Getting A Local Union Committee

Off The Ground

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Types Of Local Committees

4. Setting Goals and Preparing

a Local Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .27

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Setting Goals

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Strategic Planning

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The Use Of Goals In Preparing A Local Budget

9. Running Effective

Union Meetings . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .57

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Democratic Decision Making

5. Local President: Duties

and Responsibilities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .31

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Duties And Responsibilities

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Running An Effective Union Meeting

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Using Parliamentary Procedure

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Chairing A Union Meeting In 10 Easy Steps

10. Running Union Elections . . . . . . . . . . . .63

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Executive Board Meetings

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Who Decides?

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Time Management

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Running the Election

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Collecting and Implementing the Results

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Common Pitfalls

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11. Organizing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .69

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Why Organize?

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15. Union Communications . . . . . . . . . . . .101

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Communicating with Members

How To Start An Organizing Program

In Your Local

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AFGE¡¯s Internal Organizing Model:

Issue Organizing

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External Organizing: Organizing

New Bargaining Units

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Worksite Visits

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Publications

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Communicating with the General Public

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Community Service

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Media Outreach

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New Forms Of Organizing

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Being a Spokesperson for the Local Union

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AFGE Retirees

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Planning a Media Event

12. Collective Bargaining

and Representation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .79

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American Workers Have Not Always

Had These Rights

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16. Mobilizing Our Power . . . . . . . . . . . . .113

Why Mobilize?

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How To Build A Local Mobilization Structure

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Workers Rights In The Federal

And DC Governments

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Collective Bargaining Basics

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Contract Mobilization¡ªInvolving

Workers in the Bargaining Process

People-Powered Politics:

Union Power vs. Corporate Power

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The Hatch Act: Its Importance To

Government Employees

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Joining Forces With The AFL-CIO

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Working With Coalitions To Build

Our Political Power

Collective Actions

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Government Workers Have The Right

To Participate In Political Action

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One-on-One Education

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17. Welcoming New Members . . . . . . . . . .125

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Conducting A New Worker Orientation

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Developing A New Member Packet

13. Legislative and Political Action . . . . . . .87

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People Power: Mobilizing The Membership

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New Member Follow-up

18. Building A Stewards Structure . . . . . . .133

Stewards: The Face Of The Local Union

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Chief Steward

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Training Stewards

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Communicating With Stewards

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Recognizing Stewards

19. Grievance and Arbitration . . . . . . . . . .139

Why We Have A Grievance and

Appeals Procedure

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Guidelines for Effective Grievance Handling

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14. Promoting Civil, Human,

and Workers Rights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95

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Establishing a Local Women¡¯s and Fair

Practices Committee

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Local Women¡¯s and Fair Practices Coordinators

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Contract Language

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Working With Coalitions to Promote

Workplace Equality

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Duty of Fair Representation

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Appeals and Arbitration

20. AFGE History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .147

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