Duties of Officers

Duties of Officers

There are five CREA officers: the President, the Vice President for Policy and Dispute Resolution, the Vice President for Bargaining and Liaison, the Treasurer, and the Secretary. Officers are elected at large from the membership for two-year terms. Officers do not vote in the Board of Governors (BOG) meetings. Their duties are formally laid out in the Constitution; the Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) establishes that officers are allowed official time to perform specific duties. All officers, governors, and stewards are charged with recruiting new CREA members; generally such recruitment may not occur on official time.

Federal law (the Federal Service Labor-Management Relations Statute, Title 5 Chapter 71 of the U.S. Code) grants union officials the opportunity to perform specified activities in the representation of the interests of bargaining unit members during the time they otherwise would be in duty status. That time is “official time.” The CBA further describes how CREA officials may use and report official time. The CBA also establishes the maximum amount of official time allowed for the officers per calendar year, calculated from the number of employees in the bargaining unit, with a floor of 1,261 hours.

The CREA Constitution delineates the duties of each officer, as follows:

The President

  1. Shall preside at meetings of the Membership;
  2. Shall preside at meetings of the Board of Governors;
  3. Shall interpret and enforce the Constitution;
  4. Shall act as the representative of the Membership in all matters concerning their common welfare;
  5. Shall act as chief bargaining representative for the Membership and shall present to them a written proposed collective bargaining agreement;
  6. Shall countersign all checks drawn on Organization funds by the Treasurer;
  7. Shall authorize all expenditures appropriate for the activities of the Organization not in excess of the amount budgeted for that activity as approved by the Board of Governors;
  8. Shall appoint with consent of the Board of Governors all necessary committees and their Chairpersons;
  9. Shall serve as an ex-officio member without vote on all such committees;
  10. Shall appoint with consent of the Board of Governors members of the Grievance Committee as provided in ARTICLE VI;
  11. Shall call special membership meetings in an order to the Secretary;
  12. Shall finally resolve appeals taken from proceedings of the Grievance Committee involving disputes between members and disciplinary actions;
  13. Shall perform all other functions necessary for the execution of the Constitution; and
  14. Shall attempt to enlist bargaining unit employees as members of the Organization.

The Vice President for Policy and Dispute Resolution

  1. Shall, in the event of the absence, incapacity, or disability of the President, perform the duties of the President;
  2. Shall be the Chief Steward, and as such, shall be primarily responsible for steward training and recruitment;
  3. Shall be a member and act as Chairperson of the Grievance Committee;
  4. Shall be responsible for dealing with negotiated grievance procedures, dispute resolution meetings, unfair labor practices, and any other actions that pertain to personnel policies and procedures;
  5. Shall be responsible for advising the Board of Governors and all members of the Association on matters that pertain to personnel policies and practices; and
  6. Shall attempt to enlist bargaining unit employees as members of the Organization.

The Vice President for Bargaining and Liaison

  1. Shall become familiar with all aspects of the collective bargaining process;
  2. Shall advise the President, Vice President for Policy and Dispute Resolution, the Board of Governors, and Members on issues of negotiability;
  3. Shall help craft proposals regarding conditions of employment and/or the procedures and appropriate arrangements associated with those conditions;
  4. Shall, at the request of the President, serve on designated Labor- Management organizations, and in the absence of the President, serve in his/her place on such organizations;
  5. Shall, at the request of the President, act as the liaison with the International; and
  6. Shall attempt to enlist bargaining unit employees as members of the Organization.

The Treasurer

  1. Shall maintain all financial records of the Organization;
  2. Shall receive, disburse and account for all monies belonging to the Organization;
  3. Shall make a written financial report at each annual meeting of the membership;
  4. Shall act as custodian of all properties of the Organization in accordance with written policy statement approved by the Board of Governors;
  5. Shall prepare a proposed annual budget for the Organization for presentation to the Board of Governors prior to the beginning of the fiscal year (which runs from October 1 through September 30);
  6. Shall make, annually or upon leaving the office for any reason, a correct written report to the Membership of all monies and financial records of the Organization for which the Treasurer had responsibility;
  7. Shall deliver all financial records of the Organization to the successor of office; and
  8. Shall attempt to enlist bargaining unit employees as members of the Organization.

The Secretary

  1. Shall record and publish for the Membership, the minutes of all meetings of the Membership and of all meetings of the Board of Governors;
  2. Shall provide written notice of all meetings of the Membership and of all meetings of the Board of Governors;
  3. Shall prepare the official correspondence of the Organization;
  4. Shall keep faithful charge of all records of the Organization which may be under the Secretary’s control and deliver them in proper order to the successor of office;
  5. Shall determine and authorize use of the Seal of the Organization;
  6. Shall receive nominating petitions and certify candidates for election to office and to the Board of Governors;
  7. Shall give written notice to the membership of the time and place of all balloting and of all matters to appear on the ballot;
  8. Shall prepare and certify a correct listing of the members of the Organization eligible to receive ballots;
  9. Shall prepare and provide a ballot to all members of the Organization for use in voting;
  10. Shall correctly count all ballots and certify the outcome of the balloting in accordance with Constitutional requirements;
  11. Shall attempt to enlist bargaining unit employees as members of the Organization; and
  12. Shall maintain and update a list of all CRS divisions and offices and the members of the Organization in each.