Nominations and Elections Procedure

WFSE BARGAINING TEAM   NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS PROCEDURE (FOR ALL WFSE CONTRACT TERMS BEGINNING BETWEEN –2018-2020) 
 
Elections for the WFSE bargaining teams and bargaining communication team members will be by mail ballot and in accordance with AFSCME elections code and the following procedures:  

 1) Those eligible to nominate, be nominated, vote, and serve on a WFSE bargaining team or as a bargaining communication team member will be members in good standing no later than August 11, 2017 and currently employed in an appropriate WFSE bargaining unit as outlined in the Bargaining Structure for all WFSE contract terms beginning between 2018-2020. Members may only run for one seat. 

 2) Available bargaining team and communication team member positions will be as outlined in the Bargaining Structure for all WFSE contract terms beginning between –2018-2020.  

 3) The following WFSE bargaining team nominations and elections may vary from the schedule outlined in this procedure as appropriate for their respective negotiation cycles: 
 
• 2018-2020 American Behavioral Health Systems

• 2018-2021 American Friends Service Committee  

• 2019-2021 The Evergreen State College SSSSU

• 2018-2021 Renton Technical College  

• 2019-2021 Tacoma Community College Student Support Services 
 
4) The call for nominations and notice of election will be mailed to all eligible members and available on the WFSE website no later than Friday, June 30, 2017. 

 5) Nomination forms must be filled in completely and must include all required information as indicated on the official nomination form. Nominations received without the required information will not be accepted. 

 6) Information on the nomination form must be legible. 

 7) Nominations may be submitted online at www.wfse.org or by mail and must be received at WFSE Headquarters no later than 5:00 PM on Friday, August 11, 2017. 

 8) An attempt will be made to contact each nominee (unless self-nominated) to give him/her the opportunity to decline the nomination.  If the nominee declines the nomination, his/her name will not be placed on the ballot.  

 9) Nominees may provide factual information not to exceed seventy-five (75) words regarding themselves for use during the election process. This information must be received at WFSE Headquarters no later than 5:00 PM on Wednesday, August 18, 2017. 

 10) If there are equal to or fewer eligible nominees than bargaining team or bargaining communication team member positions then no balloting will be required, and the nominees will be declared elected by acclamation.  
WFSE BARGAINING TEAM   NOMINATIONS AND ELECTIONS PROCEDURE (FOR ALL WFSE CONTRACT TERMS BEGINNING BETWEEN –2018-2020) 
 
11) Required elections will be by mail ballot. Ballots will include voting instructions and the names of eligible nominees in alphabetical order and will be sent to all members eligible to vote at the address WFSE has on file as of August 18, 2017. Ballots for the University of Washington will also include job classification as required by the Local 1488 Constitution. Included with the ballot mailing, on a separate sheet/s of paper, will be factual information on each nominee, if provided by the nominee. Also included with the ballots will be a privacy envelope and an envelope for return to WFSE Headquarters.  

 12) Where a bargaining team position is designated as “at-large” a separate ballot will be used for election in accordance with AFSCME election code.  

 13) The election of bargaining team members and bargaining communication team members shall be determined by the highest number of votes cast per nominee and shall not require a majority of the votes cast. Ties will be decided by run off.  

 14) Ballots will be counted at WFSE Headquarters on Thursday, September 21, 2017 beginning at 10:00 AM.  

 15) All ballots must be returned in two envelopes, the privacy and return envelopes; so that each voter can be verified during the count and any invalid ballots can be easily identified while maintaining the confidentiality of the ballots. The outside envelope must bear the voters full name and address in order for the ballot to be valid. 

 16) Individuals elected without run off will be notified in writing no later than Thursday, September 28, 2017. The results of the elections will be published on the WFSE website. Results will be available for inquiry at WFSE Headquarters. 

 17) Any candidate whose name is to appear on the ballot may have an official observer present of her/his own choosing (who must be a member of the WFSE) in the location ballots bearing her/his name are to be counted.  The candidate shall notify WFSE Headquarters of his or her choice of observer no later than Friday, September 15, 2017.    
 18) Any protest concerning the conduct of the election must be received, in writing, at WFSE Headquarters addressed to the 2018-2020 WFSE Bargaining Elections Committee by 5:00 PM on Monday, October 2, 2017. 
 
Adopted by WFSE/AFSCME Council 28 Collective Bargaining Committee – 4/20/2017 Adopted by WFSE/AFSCME Council 28 Executive Board – 4/28/2017