Letter from President Poster on Two-Year RuleDear Brothers and Sisters:On December 21, 2007, I sent you a letter about eligibility to run for office in the 2010 IATSE Local 600 elections. Having just completed our 2007 elections, 2010 seems a long way off, but the laws that we operate under don't see it that way, so it is again my duty to inform you about eligibility rules so that as many Local 600 members as possible will be able to participate in the governance of their Local. In the 2007 elections, many Local 600 members nominated to various offices were ruled ineligible to run because they had not been in "continuous good standing" for the two-year period from the date of the February 24 nominations meeting (Local 600 Bylaws, ARTICLE SEVEN, Section 9.c). The two-year continuous good standing rule is required by the IATSE Constitution and has been approved by the United States Department of Labor. In order to avoid a similar occurrence in the 2010 election and to ensure the broadest possible representation of our members on the National Executive Board, I want to make absolutely certain that every member of this Union understands the rules, and remains eligible to run for office. To be considered "in good standing," you must be current in all initiation fees, flat quarterly dues, assessments and fines imposed by the Local. Each dues statement includes a printed "DUE BEFORE" date at the top of the statement, about thirty days from the mailing of the statement. If you do not pay the "AMOUNT DUE" on that statement within 30 calendar days after the "DUE BEFORE" date, you are automatically suspended from the Local and are no longer considered to be "in good standing." Once that happens, you are ineligible to run for office until two years from the date you bring yourself current, if no further lapses occur. There is one exception to the two-year rule: you may run for the office of IATSE Delegate if you are in good standing at the time of nominations, even if you were not continuously in good standing for two years. The Nominations meeting for the 2010 Local 600 elections will be held on Saturday, February 20, 2010. Therefore, you have only until Wednesday, February 20, 2008, to ensure that you are in good standing for those elections. You must also be certain that you remain in good standing for that full two-year period to be eligible. I certainly understand that some of us may have difficulty keeping current on our dues and assessments, given the impact of the Writers Guild walkout. Local 600 cannot change the "two-year good standing" rule because it is a part of the International Alliance's Constitution, nor can we ignore it. However, we can see to it that staying in good standing is as easy and accessible as possible. If you are currently not in good standing and want to be eligible to run in 2010, you can contact our National office and ask if you are eligible for a payment plan. All members who are on a payment plan and make all their payments on time are considered "in good standing" during the period that plan is in place. I encourage you to seek that option, but you must enter into such a plan no later than Wednesday, February 20, 2008. As of this writing, there are some hopeful indicators regarding the Writers' strike. The best solution for all of us would certainly be a return to normal work levels as soon as possible. Fraternally, Steven Poster, ASC |