Urgent meeting for members Nov. 24

All Guild members are urged to attend a critically important meeting from 12:15 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. Monday, Nov. 24, at the Desmond. We will provide lunch.

We need to discuss with members the Company’s efforts to impose a switch of health-insurance plans without consent or a contract. We also need to discuss contract negotations and our mobilizing plans.

“This is an extremely important meeting,” said Guild President Tim O’Brien. “It affects your health care coverage not just for 2009 but into the future, and it affects how quickly we can move toward obtaining a contract.”

In addition, at 12:30 p.m., there will be a vote to fill a vacant position on the Executive Board. Renee Bernard has stepped down as second vice president, and we need to fill that position.

The position requires attendance at the monthly Executive Board meeting, held the second Thursday of each month except in July and August at the Guild office at the Albany Labor Temple. Special meetings are also sometimes called, though infrequently. There is also a required membership meeting each fall.

Among the duties of an Executive Board member are: to oversee spending of dues money; to decide what grievances go to arbitration; and to set and implement policy for the local. The person filling Renee’s seat will serve until January 1, 2010.

Nominations can be made from the floor or by a nomination petition bearing the signatures from 5 percent of the membership in good standing. (Currently that would be 12 people). That petition may be presented to the local secretary at the meeting.

If there is a contested election, an elections committee would be appointed and a ballot election would be held in December.

Please do all you can to make this urgent meeting.