Rule 1. When a question is before the meeting, no motion shall be in order except:

1. To adjourn
2. To lay on the table
3. For the previous question
4. To postpone to a given time
5. To refer or commit
6. To amend
7. To substitute

Rule 2. The following motions are not debatable:

1. To adjourn
2. To lay on the table
3. For the previous question

Rule 3. If a question has been amended, the question on the amendment shall be put first, if more than one amendment has been offered, the question shall then be put as follows:

1. Amendment to the Amendment
2. Amendment
3. Original proposition

Rule 4. A motion to adjourn shall always be in order, except:

1. When a member has the floor
2. When members are voting

Rule 5. When a question has been postponed indefinitely, it shall not come up again, except by a majority vote.

Rule 1. A motion to be entertained by the presiding officer must be seconded, and the mover as well as the seconder must rise and be recognized by the Chair, stating names and Local Unions.

Rule 2. Resolutions, resignations, and motions shall be submitted in writing if so requested by the Secretary-Treasurer.

Rule 3. In presenting a motion, a brief statement of its object may be made, but no discussion on its merits shall be permitted until the question has been stated by the Chair.

Rule 4. Any member having made a motion can withdraw it with the consent of their seconder, but a motion once debated, cannot be withdrawn, except by unanimous consent or by a majority vote for a motion authorizing withdrawal.

Rule 5. A motion to amend an amendment shall be in order, but a motion to amend an amendment to an amendment shall not be in order. Any amendment may not be directly contrary to the original motion.

Rule 6. Any member may call for a division of a question when the subject admits thereof.

Rule 7. When a question has been decided, it can be reconsidered only by a majority vote of those members present.

Rule 8. A motion to reconsider must be made and seconded by two members who voted with the majority.

Rule 9. All questions, unless otherwise provided, shall be decided as a majority vote shall direct.

Rule 1. When a member wishes the floor, they shall rise and address the Chair, and when recognized by the Chair, they shall state their name and Local Union.

Rule 2. If two (2) or more members rise to speak at the same time, the Chair shall decide which is entitled to the floor.

Rule 3. When speaking, each member shall confine themselves to the questions under debate.

Rule 4. No member shall interrupt another while speaking, except to a point of order, and they shall definitely state the point, and the Chair shall decide the same without debate.

Rule 5. If a member shall feel themselves personally aggrieved by a decision of the Chair, they may appeal to the delegate body for a decision.

Rule 6. If a member is called to order while speaking, they shall take their seat until the point of order has been decided. When and if decided in order, they may proceed.

Rule 7. In the event of an appeal from a decision of the Chair, the Chairperson shall appoint a Vice President to act as Chairperson. The appeal shall then be stated by the Chair to the meeting in these words, "Shall the decision of the Chair be sustained as the decision of this meeting?" The member shall have the right to state the ground of appeal, and the Chair shall give the reason for their decision. Thereupon, the Delegates shall vote upon the appeal without further debate, and it shall require a majority vote to sustain such an appeal.

Rule 8. No member shall speak more than once, nor more than three minutes on the same subject until all members desiring the floor shall have spoken, and not more than twice without a majority consent.

Rule 9. The presiding officer shall not speak on any subject unless they retire from the Chair except on points of order. In case of a tie vote, they shall have the deciding vote.

Rule 1. The regular order of business may be suspended by a two-thirds (2/3) vote of the meeting at any time, to dispose of anything urgent.

Rule 2. Any conversation by whispering or otherwise, which is calculated to disturb a member while speaking, or hinder the transaction of business, shall be deemed a violation of order.

Rule 3. All questions of a parliamentary nature, not otherwise provided for, shall be decided by Roberts Rules of Order.

Section 1. I, ____________________________________________ do hereby pledge my honor to perform the duties of my office as required by the Constitution of the Council, to bear true and faithful allegiance to the Utility Workers Union of America, to deliver all books, information (including computer stored information), papers and other property of the Council that may be in my possession at the end of my term, to my successor in office, and at all times conduct myself as becomes a member of this Union.

Section 2. Should any officer absent themselves from any regular meeting, and fail to present a valid excuse, their office may be declared vacant, and an election held to fill the unexpired term at the next regular meeting.

Section 1. This Constitution may be amended, provided that proposed amendments are presented to the Council office at least twenty (20) days prior to a regular or special meeting of the Council and that said amendments are sent to the Delegates at least five (5) days in advance of the regular or special meeting at which they will be considered. Upon approval by a two-thirds (2/3) majority of the Council Delegates voting, the amendments become effective upon adjournment of said meeting.

Section 2. Nothing in this Constitution and By-Laws shall be construed to conflict with the Constitution of the Utility Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO.

Section 1. (a) The dues of the Local Union Members affiliated with the Utility Workers Union of America, AFL-CIO, and with the Michigan State Utility Workers Council, shall be paid monthly to the National Union in accordance with the Constitution of the Utility Workers Union of America, as outlined in Article VI of said Constitution. The dues paid to the National Union will continue to be adjusted each January in accordance with the National Constitution. However, if the dues to the National Union are increased in any subsequent year, that amount will be absorbed by the Council.  

(b) The Michigan State Utility Workers Council shall maintain a Special Action Fund overseen by the Executive Board.  The purpose of the Special Action Fund shall be to fund special actions on behalf of the membership as identified by the Executive Board and approved by the delegate body.  The Special Action Fund shall be funded as follows:  Monthly, prior to the dues split described in Section 2(a) of this Article, one dollar per member per week of per capita shall be placed in the Special Action Fund.  Funding of the Special Action Fund may be discontinued or recommenced by a majority vote of the Dlegates present and voting at a regular Council Meeting. 

Section 2. (a) The remaining portion of dues collected shall be split on a 50/50 basis between the Local Union and the Michigan State Utility Workers Council, until the Council's liquid assets have increased to above Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars ($550,000), at which time the split shall become 55/45 in favor of the Local Union and shall remain in effect until the Council's liquid assets fall below Four Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars ($450,000), at which time the split shall revert back to 50/50.  Should the Council's liquid assets increase above Six Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars ($650,000), the split shall become 60/40 in favor of the Local Union and shall remain in effect until the Council's liquid assets fall below Five Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars ($550,000), at which time the split shall revert back to the 55/45 split in favor of the Local Union.  The Council's liquid financial assets shall include money balances in all accounts, checking, savings, money markets, certificates of deposit and investment funds, excluding fixed assets (e.g. property, buildings, inventories and equipment and other non-liquid funds, e.g. PAC, Scholarship, Special Assessment).  The liquid asset amounts eferred to in this section shall be calculated the day after monthly per capita dues are paid.  

(b) The dues to Members of Local Unions affiliated with the Council shall be one and one-quarter percent (1.25%) of that Member's current straight-time hourly wage rate, including Cost of Living Allowance if applicable, times forty (40) hours per week, regardless of the number of straight-time hours that a Member receives in any given week. 

(c) By action of a majority vote of the Delegates at a Regular Council Meeting, a special dues assessment for abnormal or emergency situations may be called for. Any such assessment must be temporary and not excessive as to cause undue financial strain on the Local Union Members affiliated with the Council. Any special assessment may be designated specifically for the Local Unions, the Michigan State Utility Workers Council, or both.

Section 3. If any member or members of any Local or Locals, for any reason whatsoever, are exonerated from payment of dues by the National office of the Utility Workers Union of America in accordance with the Constitution and By-Laws of the National Union, they shall continue to be carried on the books of the Council as members in good standing, with full voice and vote for such period of time as may be determined by the National office of the UWUA, AFL-CIO.

Section 4. New members shall be required to pay an initiation fee not to be more than the maximum set forth in the National Constitution.

Section 1. The Council Executive Board shall have the only authority to call a strike against any applicable company with whom it negotiates, and set a strike date for all affiliated Local Unions, provided that a majority of the affiliated Local Union members who voted have authorized such action, and proper approval has been granted by the National Union President.

Section 1. Regular Council meetings will be held on the first Friday and Saturday of January, May and September of each year. The regular order of business will begin on Friday at 7 PM and continue until 9 PM. The meeting will reconvene on Saturday at 8:30 AM to complete the regular order of business. The Executive Board may alter the date by a maximum of fourteen (14) days depending on availability of location and to avoid a conflict with holidays or scheduling of a Utility Worker's Union function attended by a substantial number of Council Delegates.

Section 2. Special meetings may be called by the President or the Executive Board, or upon petition of a majority of the Local Unions in good standing, presented to the President. At least seventy-two (72) hours notice shall be given Delegates of such meeting. The call for a special meeting must state the business to be transacted, and no other business shall be transacted than that for which the meeting was called.

Section 3. Twenty-nine (29) Delegates from at least ten (10) Local Unions shall constitute a quorum.

Section 1. The Credentials Committee's duties are to call for the Credentials of Delegates, and shall have referred to them any question involving the right of any Delegate to be seated and act as tellers for all voting conducted during the Council meetings.

Section 2. The Board of Trustees shall audit the books and accounts of the Secretary-Treasurer every four (4) months so a report can be presented at the Regular Council Meeting(s) in January, May and September.

Section 3. The Constitution Committee shall study and present all proposed changes of the Constitution and By-Laws. The Council chairperson may refer to the committee for interpretation or clarification of the Constitution.

Section 4. The Organizing Committee shall investigate information obtained from individuals who contact the Council Officers and/or a Local Union chartered by UWUA, AFL-CIO which is affiliated with the Michigan State Utility Workers Council.