AFGE National VA Council District 12

•Time required for preparing and presenting appeals to the MSPB and handling discrimination complaints to the EEOC (Article 48, Section 6)

•Time spent serving as a Union representative during safety and health inspections, as a member of a Safety and Health Committee or its subcommittees, developing plans for abatement of materials, investigating accidents, and safety-related committee assignments. (Article 29, Section 3)

•Participation in a committee in a non-representational capacity including serving as a Subject Matter Expert 

•Attending training as a participant (i.e joint labor management training and whistle blower protection)

•Appearing as a witness in an arbitration.

•Time spent engaging in collective bargaining (5 U.S.C. 7131(a))

•Time spent in proceedings before the Authority, as determined by the FLRA (5 U.S.C. 7131(c))

•Official time for the establishment of a joint labor-management committee and participation in any related sub-committees (Article 3, Section 7)

•Participating in Joint labor management training as a trainer (Article 4, Section 3)

•Official time for representational participation in quality programs (Article 7, Section 2)

•Official Time for serving as a representative to the Department of Veterans Affairs Diversity Council (VADC) (Article 18, Section 7.A)

•Participation in local EEO committee(s), such as the EEO Advisory Committee, the Diversity Committee, etc., (Article 18, Section 7.C)

•Participation on a national task force or committee (Article 48, Section 2.B)

•Time spent in connection with national bargaining and LMR Committee meetings (Article 48, Section 4)

•Time spent making a presentation during new employee orientation (Article 49, Section 9)

•All activities related to Labor-Management Committees (Forums) (Article 48, Section 6)

•Serving in a union representational capacity in Quality programs (Article 48, Section 6)

AFGE sent an email at Wednesday, June 15, 2022 12:33 PM advising that location change was made.

“Mr. Locken,

Please be advised that the location of your Council Meeting scheduled for June 20, 5-6:30pm has changed to Australia 3.“

Email notification was sent to all D12 Locals on June 15 and June 16 regarding the location change. The AFGE Convention app has also been updated to reflect the correct location.

AFGE NVAC D12 C263 General Membership Meeting and Elections will be held at the Swan Dolphin Orlando during AFGE’s 42nd National Convention.

Meeting space has been assigned as follows:

• Date: June 20, 2022

• Time: 5pm-6:30pm

• Meeting Room: Asia 1 (in the Dolphin Hotel)

• Posted as: NVAC District 12 Leadership C-263

Please see elections article from C263 Constitution below:

ARTICLE IX ELECTIONS

Section 1. The term of office shall he for three years or for the balance of the unexpired term.

Section 2. To be qualified as a candidate for council office, the candidate must have been a member of an AFGE local for at least one year immediately preceding the closing of the nomination process; be in good standing of an AFGE Local representing VA employees; and must not maintain membership in any labor organization not affiliated with the AFL-CIO. Any 12th Veterans Affairs District employee who is a member of a constituent Local shall be eligible to be nominated as a candidate and to hold office in the 12th VA District Council.

Section 3. The election of all 12th VA District Council officers shall be conducted every three years in conjunction with the AFGE National Convention. The Secretary shall mail notices of nomination and election to all 12th VA District Council constituent Locals. not less than 60 days before the election of 12th VA District Council officers.

Section 4. Nominations for 12th VA District Council office shall be made by delegates at the Convention. The member nominated shall accept or decline the nomination. No individual shall be nominated unless he or she is present at the Convention or has presented prior written notification to the Executive Board of his or her willingness to accept nomination.

Section 5. All 12th VA District Council officers shall be elected by secret ballot and by majority vote of the delegates voting. The vote shall be on the basis of one vote per Local.

Section 6. The delegates, prior to commencement of the nomination and election process. shall elect an Election Committee, consisting of not less than three members. If a larger Committee is required, it shall contain an odd number of members. No member of the Committee will be an incumbent officer or a candidate for 12th VA District Council office.

Section 7.

• All candidates for office must be treated equally with respect to the availability of  lists of members and mailing of campaign literature. Upon request of a candidate, the 12th VA District Council Election Committee shall comply with all reasonable requests and timely requests of the candidate to distribute to known Local Presidents and delegates at the candidate’s expense, by mail or otherwise, campaign literature in aid of his or her candidacy.
• No monetary or other resources of AFGE or the 12th VA District Council or any employer shall be contributed or applied to promote the candidacy of any person in an election. Resources include, but are not limited to, dues monies and assessments, publications, facilities, office equipment, union or employer email, stationery. or other supplies. While the preceding restrictions apply to use of AFGE resources to promote the candidacy of any candidate, such resources may be used for such things as notices, factual statements of issues not involving the candidates, and other expenses necessary to conduct an election.

Section 8.

• Each candidate shall be afforded an opportunity to have a reasonable number of observers, who are members, present throughout the election procedure, including the tally of ballots.
• At the conclusion of the balloting, the Election Committee shall tally the total ballots cast, the ballots challenged, the ballots voided, the number of valid votes cast for each candidate, and the total number of valid votes cast. The Election Committee shall prepare a written report and inform the members of the results as soon as possible.
• A majority of the valid votes cast is required for election to an office. If no candidate receives a majority of the valid votes cast for the office(s) at issue a runoff election shall be conducted immediately. The runoff’ shall be between the two candidates receiving the greatest number of votes. The position on the ballot shall conform with the order of their nomination.
• Any election appeal shall be handled in the manner prescribed by Appendix A of the AFGE National Constitution.
• All election-related documents (including those pertaining to nominations and the minutes of any meetings) must be scaled and preserved by the Election committee (who has authority to reopen the records) through the protest period and then turned over to the National Secretary-Treasurer for one year after the election, unless the records are requested by higher authority in the appeal process or are still relevant.

Click here to subscribe

AFGE NVAC is finally returning to the negotiating table with the VA in March 2022. We’ll be negotiating on a two-weeks-on two-weeks-off basis, fighting for the rights of NVAC members and their families every step of the way.

By subscribing to this newsletter, you will receive bi-weekly email updates on the contract negotiations process as we renegotiate for a worker-centered contract. It is imperative that you stay informed and engaged to keep up the momentum, so subscribe to make your voice a part of this process.

Together, we can secure historic victories to better serve VA workers and our nation’s veterans for years to come.