GIF: Our Constitution and Bylaws are ratified!
Congratulations on the successful ratification of our Constitution and Bylaws! 95.3% of participating members voted YES to ratify. These documents will set the foundation to help our Union become the Union we want it to be--a Union that not only stands up for graduate workers at Georgetown, but also works toward the common good at Georgetown and across Washington, DC.
Now that we have ratified our Constitution and Bylaws ratified, the Elections Committee is a standing committee of our Union charged with strictly ensuring democratic processes for the benefit of all members. Our functioning is vital to the running of GAGE. We will be responsible for facilitating free and fair elections by the membership for positions on the Executive Council, amendments to the Constitution, and any other elections which may be necessary in the process of growing our Union.
Specifically, we’re planning on holding a mail-in election at the end of July to elect our first Executive Council, which will consist of five officers elected at-large and four lead organizers elected by different groups or categories of graduate workers. The regulations of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) prohibit us from electing our Executive Council via an online election, as we were able to with both our contract with Georgetown and now our Constitution and Bylaws. The process for electing the members of the Executive Council will begin on Wednesday, June 24th, when the floor will officially be opened to nominations (including self-nominations) from members.
As the Elections Committee, it will be our responsibility to plan and facilitate the election, from designing the ballots to counting them once returned. But, we will need your help. Because an in-person election is not possible during the current global pandemic, we will instead mail everyone a ballot to their summer address. You can update or confirm your summer address information here.
Any member who wants to join the Elections Committee is valued and encouraged to do so. It’s not necessary that you’ve been previously involved in organizing for GAGE. If you are interested in joining the Elections Committee, please email us at elections@wearegage.org no later than 5 PM (EDT) on Tuesday, June 23rd.
In Solidarity,
GAGE Elections Committee