Article 1 - Name and Affiliations

Section 1.1 - Name

The name of this organization shall be the Graduate Employees Union, AFT/AAUP Local xxxx 6666, hereafter referred to as GEU.

Section 1.2 - Affiliations

GEU shall be affiliated with the American Federation of Teachers – Oregon (AFT-Oregon), and through them with the American Federation of Teachers (AFT), and in turn with the state and national affiliates of the of American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO). GEU shall also be affiliated with AAUP-Oregon, and through them with the American Association of University Professors.

Section 1.3 - Change of Affiliation

GEU shall retain the right to change its affiliation on the basis of the will of its Membership, and will use the mechanisms in Section 6.3 and Section 6.4 to make this decision.

Section 1.4 – Affiliate Access

GEU has the exclusive right to manage its affairs and determine who has access to information about GEU business, including operations, internal deliberations and decisions, records, plans, members and bargaining unit members, including lists with names, contact information, salary, and other data. Affiliate access to these processes and resources are subject to the following contingencies:

1.4(a) 1.4.1 Any communication, access to GEU documents or data, or other contact an affiliate would like to have with GEU members or bargaining unit members, including individual and mass emails, and attendance by an affiliate representative at any GEU meeting or event, will occur per written agreement with GEU or by express approval of the GEU Executive Board.

1.4(b) 1.4.2 Any intervention by an affiliate representative in GEU business must be presented plainly, transparently, and completely to all members of the body responsible for that business, with context and including the complete motivation for the intervention. The presentation must be followed by, or include, a discussion with those deciding members which must proceed in a fair and balanced manner. If after the representative’s recommendation is discussed, the members responsible for the issue choose to move in a different direction, the representative will respect that decision and refrain from continuing to pursue the matter directly or indirectly or through a different GEU decision-making body. The Executive Board is empowered to end GEU contact with and access by any affiliate representative who violates this clause.

1.4(c) 1.4.3 Nothing in this section shall be construed to violate any provision of the AFT Constitution, nor shall any provision be interpreted to interfere with the ability of the AFT to discharge its responsibilities to the members of GEU.

Section 1.5 - Designated Representatives

The Executive Board has the power to authorize one or more employees of GEU or GEU’s affiliates to serve as Designated Representatives for purposes of this document. The Executive Board may revoke this authorization at any time for any reason.