UE General Executive Board - January 23-25, 2019 - Previously approved by regions during their Fall 2018 council meetings

Anti-Harassment Principles

Building rank-and-file democracy and solidarity demands that we prioritize respect for each other so that all may fully participate in meetings, union activities, and the broader struggle.

All members, officers, and staff have the right to participate in the affairs of the union free of harassment and discrimination regardless of sex, gender identity, race, disability, age, religious views and any other status protected by state or federal law. Harassment within our union demoralizes and weakens the solidarity necessary among members and workers to collectively protect and defend ourselves against the organized forces of the system and employers that are against us. We all have an obligation to challenge and overcome behaviors that divide us as a working class. UE will not tolerate any forms of harassment, bullying, discrimination, or violence in any level of the union, and violations may result in actions being taken against members, officers, or staff.

Our Responsibility

It is all of our responsibility to create and preserve an environment of dignity and respect at all levels, and not to passively observe, nor encourage or participate in behavior which is unwelcome, unwanted, uninvited, inappropriate, or illegal. It is all of our responsibility not to partake in words or actions which humiliate, insult, or degrade any person. This may include, but is not limited to, unwanted comments, slurs, racist, sexist, transphobic, or homophobic jokes, offensive pictures or posters, bullying or intimidation, graffiti, non-consensual physical contact of any kind, inappropriate remarks about a person’s appearance or personal life, unwelcome sexual advances or demands, suggestive looks or gestures, mockery of religious practices or customs or desecration of religious imagery.

Anti-Harassment Procedures

Ombuds and the national office anti-harassment coordinator(s) shall be voluntary positions, as selected in the manner prescribed below.

Ombuds shall work during national conventions and regional council meetings or other national or regional meetings. The national office anti-harassment coordinator shall assist with complaints made in between meetings and may be, also, called upon to assist those situations which occur during national or regional meetings.

Expenses and per diem shall be paid for this work in accordance with UE Constitution and policy for GEB members.

Each person who agrees to be in one of these positions will receive the training necessary in order that the approach and the tools necessary for the work are done are in a manner consistent with the UE Constitution and UE Anti-Harassment Principles and Responsibilities.

If someone believes they are being harassed during, or in between, UE regional or national meetings because of their race, color, national or ethnic origin, age, religion, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression they should take the following action:

1. If possible, make it clear verbally or in writing to the harasser that such inappropriate behavior is not welcome.
2. If the inappropriate behavior persists the individual harassed may approach the designated ombud(s), or national office coordinator if in between meetings, who will investigate and attempt to resolve the matter informally. Request for assistance from an ombud or national office anti-harassment coordinator may be asked for right away if the complainant is unwilling to approach the harasser directly.
3. Each incident will be handled confidentially and quickly. Where the safety of any individual is compromised or a criminal act is alleged to have occured, the appropriate authorities will be contacted.
4. When the matter cannot be resolved informally the person harassed may file a written complaint with the national office anti-harassment coordinator, who will issue a recommendation to the National Officers and/or the GEB to resolve the issue. In the event that an individual disagrees with the ombudsperson or anti-harassment coordinator’s determination of a matter, they may request a hearing which will be conducted in accordance with the principles described in Article 24, Section B. of the UE’s Constitution and By-Laws. Staff may use the grievance procedure available to them to dispute disciplinary action taken against them by the officers.
   Reprimands, suspensions, or expulsions from union office or membership, or in the case of UE staff discipline and discharge, in accordance with the procedures outlined in the collective bargaining agreement, may also be considered depending on the circumstances of the situation(s).
5. The national office anti-harassment coordinator and ombuds for the national convention and meetings shall be appointed by the General President subject to approval by the GEB, and for Regional Council and other regional meetings by the Regional President subject to approval by the Regional Executive Board.
6. The national union shall provide the designated ombuds with the training, forms and other material necessary to carry out this procedure. The ombudsperson or national office anti-harassment coordinator shall also provide those making a complaint with such forms and material.
7. During regional and national meetings the designated ombud(s) will be announced at the start of the meeting and these Principles, Responsibilities, and Procedures distributed to each attendee.

Given the number of newer delegates that are expected at the UE national convention this year, the National Officers and General Executive Board thought it was important to share information about the general organizational process UE has developed over the years for the election of national officers.

Per the UE Constitution [5] any UE member in good standing for a year or more is eligible to run for UE’s three top general officer positions: General President, General Secretary Treasurer and Director of Organization. The responsibilities and duties of all three general officers are outlined in the National Constitution along with their salaries.

It has been typical out of respect to UE principles of democratic rank and file unionism that any eligible member interested in running as a candidate would reach out to locals in the lead up to the convention to get the word out and secure support for their candidacy. Accordingly, it has been standard UE practice for the General Secretary Treasurer, upon request by any candidate for national office, to provide address labels for all the locals in UE so that if they do not already know everyone they can mail out campaign letters.

At the convention itself, it has been common for candidates to make introductions and campaign between sessions and during social events as they are not provided time on the convention floor or in other convention meetings to actively campaign.

Unlike nomination and election officers in UE Locals, that would typically take place over a two step process of taking nominations at one meeting and holding elections at a later date, the nomination and election of officers for the National Union both take place during convention week.

During the nomination process, time is permitted to the delegates making the nomination or seconding the nomination to speak for a few minutes rather than just making a motion to nominate or second the candidate. In past conventions we would see that they would use their time to give a final summation of who the candidate is, why they are running and why others should support them with their vote. Many times this is planned out in advance by the candidate who notifies the convention chair before the elections take place as to who they want to be called upon to nominate and second them Each candidate nominated is asked if they accept or decline the nomination. Typically after the election is held the prevailing candidate is provided the opportunity to say a few words before the convention chair moves on to the next item.

Per the UE Constitution the general officers are sworn in after the elections and the two year term commences on November 1st and ending October 31st of the second year.

The National Union, as approved by the General Executive Board (GEB) in January 2001, offers to eligible UE Locals convention hotel and lost time reimbursement for one delegate per local.

Remember, this is a reimbursement for expenses. Locals are expected to pay up front and the National Union will reimburse you for qualified expenses. See details below.

Qualifications

To qualify for the above convention reimbursement subsidies UE Locals must prove that they have no more than $10,000 in their General Fund accounts, which includes checking, savings and CDs. These eligibility requirements will be determined and verified with the information that is submitted on the Local’s quarterly audit report [7] for the period April, May and June 2025. It is very important for all Locals to be up-to-date in the filing of these quarterly audit reports. There will be no other acceptable documentation for determining and verifying eligibility.

Reimbursement Subsidy Amount

Reimbursement will be made for four (4) days lost-time and four (4) days hotel room at the single/ double room rate of $149.00 + 17.4% tax ($174.93). For delegates unable to drive in Sunday morning, a hotel subsidy will be paid for a fifth night. As in the past, the delegate must attend all of the convention sessions to have the subsidies paid.

To Receive Reimbursement

Subsidy forms will be available at the convention and Locals are to submit these completed forms with a voucher and hotel bill. Locals will have a 90-day time limit (from the last day of convention) to submit their subsidy reimbursement requests to the National Union. All requests received after this 90-day period will be denied.

Locals that are not in the financial position to follow these guidelines should contact General Secretary Treasurer Andrew Dinkelaker at 412-471-8919 [8] to make special arrangements. Please remember that we must have your quarterly audit report [7] for April, May and June 2025 for any special arrangements to be considered.

UE Policy [2] is set by UE national conventions, which discuss, debate and adopt policy resolutions submitted by UE locals, regions and the General Executive Board.

Resolutions sent to the convention for consideration need not be complicated or written in imposing language. As in everything else, since “the members run this union,” the membership should feel free to help set the policies of the union through action taken by their own locals — and in their own words.

Each resolution consists of two parts — the body and the “resolves.” The body of the resolution explains why the issue is important, and the resolves are the action(s) that UE members wish to see taken on the issue.

The Body: Making Your Case

While other unions often use “whereas” to introduce each paragraph of the body, in UE we use simple paragraphs for the body. The body should make the case why this issue is important to UE members, and to working people in general. Elements that contribute to a persuasive body include:

1. A general statement of the problem or issue (“Privatization destroys unions which drives down wages, benefits and working conditions”).
2. Experiences of UE locals (“The members of UE Local 222, Sub-local 80 in the Woodbridge public school district won an important battle in 2011, overturning the actions of the local board of education in privatizing work previously done by four custodians represented by the union”). If your local or your members have direct experience with an issue, write about that experience! (though make sure you have permission before using any particular member’s name — UE policies go up on the UE website!)
3. Research or statistics, preferably from a reputable source (“According to a February, 2019 study by the Economic Policy Institute, raising the federal minimum wage to $15 by 2024 would lift pay for nearly 40 million workers”).
4. Recent events (“Wide public support for the wave of teacher strikes over the last two years demonstrates that Americans value the public sector, and will support unions that act in militant ways to defend it”).

The Resolves: Taking Action!

The resolves section should begin with “Therefore, be it resolved that this 79th UE Convention,” followed by a numbered list of actions that the convention wishes take on the issue, with lettered sub-points as appropriate. Generally, the actions take one of two forms:

1. Taking a position (“Opposes the privatization and contracting-out of public services and facilities” or “Supports state legislative moratoriums on contracting out public-sector work”).
2. Calling on the union to do something (“Calls on the union at all levels to educate our members and our communities about the expanding use of inmate labor to replace public sector workers”), or demanding that the government do something (“Demands that Congress declare a moratorium on all new federal privatization”). In some cases the convention will “direct” the national union to do something, but the convention cannot “direct” locals and regions.

Updating Existing Resolutions

If you are updating an existing resolution, you can copy the text from your local’s UE Policy book, or visit ueunion.org/ue-policy [2]. Here are some ideas for how to best update a resolution:

1. Read through the existing body, and remove or update anything that is no longer timely or accurate — a lot can change in two years!
2. Add an example or two from your own local to the body, or reach out to other locals who might have experience with the same issue.
3. Add or delete resolves based on your knowledge of bills or actions that are pending.

How to Submit Your Resolution

Resolutions must be sent to the General Secretary Treasurer so that they arrive no less than one month prior to the convention in order to be considered by the convention. The preferred format is to email a Word document to gst@ueunion.org [10]; however, resolutions can also be mailed to:

UE Attn: General Secretary-Treasurer
4 Smithfield Street, 9th Floor
Pittsburgh, PA 15222-2226

Convention Location

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Chicago, Magnificent Mile [12]
300 East Ohio Street, Chicago, IL 60611 (Google Maps Link [13])
Phone: (312) 787-6100 || Fax: (312) 787-7990

Public Transportation From Airports Using Chicago Transit Authority (“CTA”)

Excellent website, including great maps and information on transport options, at https://www.transitchicago.com/airports/ [14] 

DoubleTree Hotel Chicago Parking

We have secured a hotel parking convention rate of $40 per day (in and out privileges) at the hotel garage that can be accessed via a lobby elevator. You will need to get your ticket validated at the front desk to secure the convention rate.

If there is a need for other options for alternative parking you can use the app Parkopedia [15] to compare rates.

To Make Your Hotel Reservation:

DIRECT LINK ONLINE [17]

NOTE: If reserving rooms online, please check to confirm that you are reserving them for only the nights you need, which may vary depending on your travel distance and whether you are attending the Regional Council meeting on Saturday, August 23. Please note that the Convention will end by noon on Thursday, August 28.

OR CALL: 312-224-2130 — Specify “UE National Convention 2025”

Reservations Must Be Made By August 3, 2025

RATES: Single/Double $149.00 +17.4% tax ($174.93) per night

To make reservations, you must either do so online or call the number listed above and give your detailed information to the hotel as soon as possible. Cut-off date for reservations is August 3, 2025 at 5pm Eastern Time. When calling, identify yourself as a UE member making reservations for the “UE National Convention 2025” to receive the convention rate. Have all of your information handy pertaining to Check-in, Check-out, and type of room (single, double).

Make reservations as soon as possible in order to guarantee a room in the block.

Reservations must be guaranteed with the hotel by using the following methods:

A major credit card.

Prepaying with a check. The check must be issued by your local, the hotel will not accept personal checks. Your check must arrive at the hotel one month prior to your arrival, or your check will not be accepted.

(Note that if a debit card is used at check-in to pay for a sleeping room, the entire bill will be charged immediately for the full amount and an additional $75.00 per night for incidentals.)

Charges for incidentals upon arrival

If you pay for the room by check, the hotel will still require $75.00 per night for incidentals which can be covered by cash/credit or debit. If using a debit card, the entire bill for incidentals will be charged immediately (if you are staying 5 nights, $375.00 will be immediately debited from your account). Any incidentals not used will be refunded to the debit card approximately 3-5 business days after check-out.

Check-in time is 4:00PM. Consequently, morning or early afternoon arrivals may be subject to slight delays before room assignment. The bell staff will be happy to store baggage and appreciate tips.

Check-out time is 11:00am.

You will be charged for the first night if reservations are not canceled 24 hours prior to the 4:00 PM (EST) check-in time.

CONTACT INFORMATION:

DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Chicago, Magnificent Mile [12]
300 East Ohio Street, Chicago, IL 60611
Phone: (312) 787-6100 || Fax: (312) 787-7990

Please note that these instructions differ slightly from the instructions that were mailed out in April. Online registration will open in early May.

Online registration for the National Convention will be done through UE “CRM” online database. The process can be done on a smartphone if necessary, but doing it on a regular laptop or desktop computer will be easier.

In order to register your delegates and alternates online, you will need a password to log into the CRM. Your president and financial secretary will receive an email with the subject line “UE CRM - Reset Password” to the email addresses we have on file in early May when online registration opens. The email will contain a link which will allow you to create a password and sign into the CRM. The email will come from christiancw@ueunion.org, the email address of UE Data & Technology Coordinator Christian Cmehil-Warn.

The password link is only good for 24 hours. If you miss the window for setting your password using that link, you can go to crm.ueunion.org [19] and click on the “(forgot?)” link next to the password input. This will take you to a form where you can enter your email address to receive a new link to set your password. Please note you will need to use the email address we have on file for you.

If you do not receive the password reset link, or need help accessing the CRM, please contact Christian at christiancw@ueunion.org.

Once you have reset your password, it will take you to a screen where you can log in to the CRM with your new password. We suggest you bookmark this page for when you are ready to register your local’s delegates. Alternatively, you can visit ueunion.org/convention and follow the online registration link to the CRM login page.

Once you have logged in, select “Locals Dashboard” from the menu. From there, under “My Local,” click the “Local Details” button. From there, click the button “Convention Registration” under your local’s contract information, which will take you to the Convention Registration page.

This page will list the number of delegates and alternates your local is entitled to, and (once you have begun the registration process), the amount of delegate fees that are due. Below that will be a list of the delegates and alternates you have registered.

To register a delegate or alternate, use the “Register Delegate” or “Register Alternate” buttons, which will take you to the form:

1. Use the “Delegate” or “Alternate” drop-down to pick out the member you wish to register as a delegate or alternate. If you begin typing a name into the input, their name should show up in the options. Please note that if your membership list is not updated in our database, some of your members may not appear in this list! If you are trying to register a member who is not showing up on the list, please contact your assigned field staff.
2. Enter the member’s email address, cell phone, and mailing address. These fields are required.
3. Indicate whether the delegate (or alternate) needs childcare or interpretation into Spanish, and if they are a first-time delegate/alternate (have not attended an in-person UE convention before).
4. Click the “Submit” button.

After you have registered all of your delegates and alternates, the amount of delegate fees due will appear at the top of the page. If the counts are not correct, refresh the page. Click on the “Pay Delegate Fees” button to pay using a credit card. You may also mail a check to the National Office.