To Vote or Not to Vote

[Guest BSte]

If a member would like to submit an official letter from your union, do you need to have the members vote on that before drafting the letter? 

[jstackpo]

Although I don't know what Union rules apply (if any), and RONR has nothing to say on this topic, it would seem more reasonable for the union membership to vote on sending the letter (or not) after it was drafted -- that way the membership will know what they are voting on, and can first amend the text if they wish.

[Richard Brown]

3 hours ago, Guest BSte said:

If a member would like to submit an official letter from your union, do you need to have the members vote on that before drafting the letter? 

It depends on the situation and the authority of your officers or Union officials to take action outside of a meeting. I am sure that, at least with large unions, various union officials have executive responsibilities and are authorized to write letters and make other communications and decisions on behalf of the organization.

If the question of whether to write a letter comes up during a meeting, it might well be appropriate for the assembly to either direct an officer to write the letter in question, leaving it up to the official to decide upon the exact wording in the letter unless the entire contents of the letter are included in the motion. It would also be appropriate for the assembly to require that the exact wording of the letter be approved by the assembly prior to sending it.

Except in the most unusual of circumstances, it seems rather awkward and time consuming to require that the drafting of a letter be authorized in one meeting but that the letter not be mailed until the final wording can be approved at the next meeting.  since most assemblies meet monthly, it seems to me that the one month delay between meetings could well be problematic.

There is nothing in RONR that requires assembly approval of letters written on behalf of the organization. Except in the most unusual of circumstances it seems to me the president or some other officer has the authority in most organizations to conduct routine correspondence on behalf of the organization.

Edited to add: what do your bylaws say about the authority of your Union Officers? Do any of them have the authority to manage the affairs of the organization or to be the official spokesman for the organization?

Edited February 6, 2019 at 04:35 PM by Richard Brown
Added last paragraph