Board and ADC Committee Operation

Purpose

To outline protocols and procedures for the operation of all Committees of the Board of Directors and the Annual Delegates Conference (ADC).

Policy

Committee Meeting Logistics

Funding

Committees shall submit an annual budget proposal for approval by the Board of Directors.

Meetings and Frequency

Committees shall be entitled to one in person meeting per year and unless exempted otherwise in their Terms of Reference. Committees may otherwise meet up to quarterly by teleconference. In person meetings shall not extend beyond a normal working day and teleconferences should normally be one hour or less, but in no instance longer than a half day.

Committees may ask for additional in person meetings, if required, by requesting approval for same from the Executive Committee. Instances where such exceptions might be granted include adjoining Committee meetings to Conferences or events where a majority of the Committee membership is already in attendance.

AMAPCEO staff who are assigned to support the work of a committee are responsible for the logistics of organizing committee meetings (including meetings held by teleconference), i.e., canvassing members for meeting dates, confirming the time and date of meetings, ensuring that the agenda is circulated, etc.). Staff who are assigned to support a committee are required to attend and participate in all committee meetings/teleconferences, except in situations where a committee is authorized to meet in camera under specific circumstances.

Leadership

ADC Committees, by virtue of their Terms of Reference, will elect an individual from the membership of the committee to function as Chair.¹

Committees of the Board will have at least one Board Liaison, who will function as Chair.

Committee Chairs shall be responsible for agenda setting and meeting conduct. If necessary, Robert’s Rules of Order may be applied, however, under normal circumstances, Committees should operate on consensus basis. Quorum should include a majority of the members at large and (for Board committees) at least one of the assigned Board Directors.

With the exception of the Audit Committee meeting with the external auditor, Committees shall not meet in-camera.

Reporting

Committees shall regularly communicate with the Board of Directors through their designated Board Liaison(s). Such communication will be for the purpose of sharing progress in relation to Board mandates, goals or objectives, or to permit the Committee to share its budget submission and workplans. The Board may ask the Committee to provide an annual report.

Exceptions

Committees may request authorization of exceptions to this policy by the Executive Committee.

Any permanent exceptions shall be written into the Terms of Reference of each respective Committee as well as the Board Policy Manual.

Decisions of the Executive Committee shall be final.

Committee Guiding Principles

• Committee members shall attend meetings and participate in a constructive manner.
• Committee advice provided to the Board should be evidence or analysis based.
• Committees shall be cognizant and respectful of the greater Union’s interests. 
• Committee recommendations should work within the normal limits of existing policy and funding availability.

Joint Employer Committees

The Board recognizes that joint committees with the Employer, such as AMERCs, are by definition jointly operated and are authorized under the Collective Agreement to establish their own mutually agreed upon meeting procedures.

Although the Employer pays for the leave costs of AMAPCEO representatives who participate on AMERCs, the Union often reimburses members for travel and accommodation costs that may be associated with attending AMERC meetings, as such joint committees are encouraged to find an efficient and economical balance to their annual meeting schedule.

¹ ADC committees, unless their terms of reference specify otherwise, are also governed by Article 25.5 of the AMAPCEO Constitution, which addresses reporting and financial rules.