A. REPRESENTATIVE ASSEMBLY

1. The AHEM Representative Assembly shall consist of representatives elected from and by the members of each site in Anoka-Hennepin Independent School District #11, AHEM officers and Executive Board members, and AHEM members of the Education Minnesota Governing Board.
2. The Assembly shall normally meet two times per month during the school year, at a time governed by the ending times of the various sites.
   

B. EXECUTIVE BOARD

1. The Executive Board of AHEM is elected by the members in each of the four clusters. Each cluster will elect two elementary, one middle school and one high school representative. If no candidates are available from the cluster or level, vacant positions can be filled by members outside of the cluster/school level. There is also one at-large representative, from other sites not assigned to a cluster. AHEM officers and members of the Education Minnesota Governing Board are automatic members of the Executive Board, with full voting rights.
   
2. The Executive Board shall normally meet once per month, but additional meetings can be called by the AHEM President or requested by Executive Board members, when needed.
   
3. The Executive Board is authorized by the AHEM Constitution to act on behalf of the Representative Assembly when school is not in session.
   

C. CADRES AND COMMITTEES

1. AHEM shall establish cadres as required by the Bylaws and committees as needed. Cadre positions shall be appointed for one year by the AHEM President and approved by the Representative Assembly. Cadre leaders may be appointed to successive terms.
   

D. PRESIDENT

1. The Anoka-Hennepin Education Association President shall be the Chief Executive of the organization. The duties and responsibilities of the President are defined by the AHEM Constitution. The President will sign a contract, agreeing to specific duties and responsibilities, for each two-year term.
   

E. VICE PRESIDENT

1. The Vice President shall perform the duties of, and have the powers of, the President during any absence or inability of the President to act or in the event of a vacancy in the office. The Vice President’s duties and responsibilities are defined by the AHEM Constitution. The Vice President will sign a contract, agreeing to the duties and responsibilities, for each one-year term.
   

F. SECRETARY

1. The Secretary shall keep a record of the proceedings of meetings of the Representative Assembly and of the Executive Board and other meetings as assigned by the AHEM President. The Secretary’s duties and responsibilities are defined by the AHEM Constitution. The Secretary will sign a contract, agreeing to the specific duties and responsibilities, for each one-year term.
   

G. TREASURER

1. The Treasurer is responsible for the maintenance and accuracy of the financial accounts of AHEM. The Treasurer’s duties and responsibilities are defined by the AHEM Constitution. The Treasurer will sign a contract, agreeing to the specific duties and responsibilities, for each two-year term.
   

H. ROLES AND EXPECTATIONS OF OFFICERS

1. AHEM meetings. Attend AHEM Representative Assembly, Executive Board meetings, Negotiations Steering Committee meetings, Meet and Confer, and other meetings as requested.
2. Officer meetings. Maintain communication with President and other Officers as needed outside of regularly scheduled meetings.
3. Other leadership functions. Serve on or lead other AHEM committees, as needed.
4. Spokesperson for the local. Represent the local at functions in the schools, community, or at state or national events.
5. Delegate. Serve as delegate to NEA/AFT Conventions, Education Minnesota Representative Conventions, and other union functions.
   

I. SALARIES OF OFFICERS

The salary of the full-time release President shall be that person’s normal compensation on the teacher salary schedule plus an additional prorated stipend equivalant to fifty (50) days of pay on the teacher salary schedule because of the additional workload required of the President. All retirement and fringe benefits will remain in place as if the President was teaching.

Other Officer stipends will be set annually by the AHEM budget committee and approved by the Representative Assembly during the budgeting process.

II. OPERATING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES

A. AFFIRMATIVE ACTION

1. AHEM supports Affirmative Action and will abide by all Affirmative Action Policies as adopted by NEA/AFT and Education Minnesota and as found in state and federal law.
   

B. OPEN MEETINGS

1. All meetings of AHEM are open, except for times when the body moves into Executive Session.
   

C. MEMBERSHIP POLICY

1. Dues Structure
   a) Full-time membership dues will include: NEA/AFT; Education Minnesota (Foundation and PAC); AHEM; Education Minnesota Crisis Fund; and Other special assessments as may be set by NEA/AFT, Education Minnesota, and/or AHEM.
   b) Dues categories for state and national dues will be set by the state and national organizations.
   c) Dues categories for AHEM are: 76%-Full Time, 51%-75%, 26%-50%, and 25% or less.
2. Dues Collection
   a) Dues may be paid by personal check up to two weeks prior to the first payroll deduction.
   b) Returning members will automatically have their dues deducted.
   c) New members shall have their dues deducted by payroll deduction or shall pay by personal check.
3. Jurisdiction
   a) The AHEM Executive Board shall have final jurisdiction in any local dues question or membership disputes.
4. Membership Deadline
   a) Returning teachers: District #11 teachers shall be allowed to submit applications any time during the school year. Dues in all cases for the returning teacher shall be the full dues for the teacher’s membership category, regardless of when the application is submitted. For non-members, the union is not obligated to provide legal or other assistance not otherwise required under PELRA for incidents occurring prior to the membership application date.
   b) New teachers: Teachers new to District #11 are encouraged to join the AHEM as soon as possible after employment. AHEM will accept membership applications anytime during the school year. Dues for teachers beginning their assignment during the school year shall be based on their Contract percentage.
5. Other
   a) Administrative Intern Principals will be members of NEA/AFT/Education Minnesota/AHEM unless directed otherwise by the state and/or national organizations.
   

D. SCHOLARSHIPS

1. An AHEM scholarship shall be awarded to one senior at each of the high schools at graduation.
   

E. MILEAGE

1. The payment of mileage for AHEM activities will be the current IRS rate. Mileage vouchers will be submitted to and approved by the AHEM President.
   

F. RELEASE OF MEMBER NAMES/ADDRESSES

1. AHEM shall not release names/addresses of AHEM bargaining unit members to outside groups.
   

G. DELEGATE ASSEMBLIES

1. Education Minnesota Representative Convention
   a) Delegates to the Education Minnesota Representative Assembly will be elected by the membership.
   b) If an elected delegate is not able to attend the convention, he/she should notify the AHEM President, so that an alternate can be upgraded.
   c) Delegates will have hotel and meal expenses covered by AHEM and mileage reimbursed by Education Minnesota.
   d) Delegates are expected to be on the floor for the entire convention until adjournment. Exceptions to this guideline must be discussed with and approved by the AHEM President.
2. NEA/AFT Representative Conventions
   a) Delegates to the NEA/AFT summer conventions are elected by the membership on local and state ballots.
   b) If an elected delegate is not able to attend for the entire convention until adjournment, he/she should notify the AHEM President, so that an alternate can be upgraded.
   c) In order to qualify for funding from the local, AHEM delegates to the NEA/AFT conventions will be required to sign a funding compliance form, outlining delegate responsibilities, before the convention. (See Appendix E for funding compliance form).
   d) AHEM delegates are expected to be on the floor for the entire convention, until adjournment. Any exceptions must be discussed and approved by the AHEM President.
   e) AHEM delegates will be required to attend a local pre-convention meeting where delegate responsibilities will be given in detail.
3. Local Delegation Chairperson
   a) The AHEM President shall serve as the Local Delegation Chairperson. In the absence of the AHEM President, the AHEM Vice President will serve as delegation chair. If neither the president or vice president are present, the delegates shall elect a delegation chair at the preconvention meeting.
   b) It is the responsibility of the Local Delegation Chairperson to: Maintain communications with all Local delegates and alternates regarding their responsibilities and convention duties; maintain a communication link between the Local delegation and Education Minnesota, NEA/AFT; and report to the AHEM Executive Board and the AHEM Representative Assembly following the convention.
   

H. ELECTION PROCEDURES

1. Procedures for AHEM elections are determined by the AHEM Constitution.
   

I. EXPENSE POLICY

1. Maximum meal expense amounts for breakfast, lunch and dinner will be set annually by the AHEM Executive Board.
2. Members on local business must provide receipts for meals, transportation, hotels and other expenses in order to be reimbursed. All receipts should be summarized and attached to an Expense Reimbursement Request. All Expense Reimbursement Requests must first be reviewed and approved by the AHEM President and then by the AHEM Treasurer.
3. Expense amounts for delegates to the NEA/AFT summer conventions will be the same as those provided to delegates elected on the state ballot, unless otherwise determined by the AHEM Executive Board.
4. Meals shall be reimbursed if the person is going from local business to local business (uninterrupted service).
5. If meal expenses exceed the maximum amounts determined by the Executive Board and total reimbursement is requested, the person vouchering the expense shall attach (list) reasons for exceeding the maximum. The AHEM President, in consultation with the AHEM Treasurer, will make the final decision, with appeals to be made to the Executive Board.
6. This policy shall be reviewed annually during the budget-making process.
   

J. AHEM INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY

1. The AHEM office will be closed whenever the Anoka-Hennepin schools are officially closed or dismissed early due to inclement weather. This means all scheduled AHEM meetings will also be cancelled.
2. If weather conditions become worse during the day when school is in session and it may merit the cancellation of scheduled meetings, an e-mail message will be sent to all Head Faculty Representatives and Executive Board members, informing them of the cancellation. It will be up to you to check your e-mail or call the office before coming to the meeting. If AHEM office staff are not present, a voicemail message will be left, indicating if meetings are cancelled.
   

K. CONTRACT RATIFICATION VOTE
See AHEM Constitution and Bylaws for contract ratification procedures.

L. STRIKE AUTHORIZATION
See AHEM Constitution and Bylaws for strike authorization procedures.

M. CRISIS FUND
The purpose of the Local Crisis Fund is to provide operating funds in case of a local crisis. The expenditure of these funds is to be authorized and monitored by the AHEM Executive Board. Specific situations in which crisis funds can be used are:

1. Extraordinary budget expenses brought about by a strike in the local;
2. Repayment to the Education Minnesota Crisis Fund (typically the local must repay 20% of the local’s loan from the Education Minnesota Crisis Fund);
3. Grievance/arbitration expenses that exceed the budget line item, without sufficient money in the budget reserve to cover the excess expenses;
4. Other extraordinary situations, as determined by the Executive Board, such as a loss in membership due to school district budget cuts, which significantly reduce revenue to the local.
   

N. CHANGES TO THE POLICY HANDBOOK
The Executive Board shall review the policy handbook annually. The policy handbook can be modified at any time during the year by a majority vote of the Executive Board or the Representative Assembly.

III. OPERATIONS OF CADRES AND COMMITTEES

A. ROLES AND EXPECTATIONS OF CADRE CHAIRPERSONS

1. Attend meetings of AHEM Representative Assembly, Executive Board meetings and Meet and Confer sessions on a regular basis.
2. Chair meetings of the cadre and report back to the Representative Assembly/Executive Board orally or in written form.
3. Serve on appropriate committees when asked to do so by the President.
4. Write articles for the Update or for other communications pieces of AHEM.
5. Be a spokesperson for AHEM when asked to do so by the President.
   

B. CADRES
Cadre leaders will be appointed for a one-year term by the AHEM President and approved by the Representative Assembly. The following Cadres are currently operating: Negotiations; Governmental Relations; Technology and Information; and Membership. A Teacher Rights Chair will serve under the Negotiations Cadre. A Professional Development Coordinator (and coordinator of Meet and Confer) will serve as a part of the Membership Cadre. An Elections Coordinator serves under the supervision of the AHEM officers. The Teacher Rights Coordinator, Elections Coordinator and Professional Development Coordinator are also appointed by the AHEM President and approved by the Representative Assembly.

1. Technology and Information Cadre: This cadre carries responsibility for AHEM communications, including publishing of the Update and monitoring and updating of the AHEM website. Publications should represent the positions and philosophy of AHEM/Education Minnesota/AFT/NEA as expressed by actions taken by the governing bodies of the organization.
   a) Lines of responsibility for publications: As the chief officer of AHEM, the President shall have the immediate responsibility to oversee publications. The Executive Board has the authority to review, accept, reject, or direct any publication of AHEM. As the policy making body of AHEM, the Representative Assembly shall have final authority over all publications of AHEM.
   b) AHEM UPDATE policy
   Editor’s Reponsibility: To solicit and select articles and photographs. To seek suggestions and review from knowledgeable individuals where needed and whenever possible. To supervise production of the AHEM Update.
   President’s Responsibility: To appoint an editor, subject to the approval of the Representative Assembly. To assist the editor in soliciting articles and writers. To provide advice and suggestions to the editor.
   
2. Governmental Relations Cadre: This Cadre shall have the responsibility for coordinating AHEM activities in elections and lobbying decisionmakers at the local, state and national levels.
   a) Specific areas: contacts with legislators; local Lobby Days/other lobbying activities; and screenings for District #11 School Board, Minnesota House of Representatives, and Minnesota Senate
   b) Organizing activities in school board races, local levy elections, and state and national elections.
   c) Reports at Executive Board and Faculty Representative meetings
3. Negotiations Cadre: The Negotiations Cadre is responsible for preparing a proposal and negotiating a Working Agreement by and between AHEM and the School Board. The Negotiations Cadre shall have the responsibility for negotiations research, training and communications. The teacher rights committee will operate under the Negotiations Cadre.
   a) Negotiations Team: Negotiators will be selected by a screening committee and approved by the Representative Assembly. The negotiators will work in conjunction with the Negotiations Steering Committee and the Council for Negotiations. Negotiators shall be placed under Contract. (See Appendix F for Negotiators’ Contracts.)
   b) Negotiations Authority: The AHEM Representative Assembly empowers the AHEM Executive Board to have the authority to make decisions for the Negotiators when such authority is needed. When there isn’t time for the Representative Assembly to meet, the Executive Board has authority to make decisions concerning negotiations.
   c) Council for Negotiations: Each building is entitled to one representative to serve on the Negotiations Council. The Co-Chairs of the Council for Negotiations shall be the AHEM Vice President and the AHEM Negotiations Cadre Chair. The purpose of the council is to serve as the liaison between the Negotiations Team and the membership.
   d) Negotiations Steering Committee. The Steering Committee is comprised of the AHEM officers, negotiators, field staff and three members elected from the Executive Board and three members elected from the Representative Assembly. The Steering Committee shall be co-chaired by the AHEM Vice President and the Chief Negotiator. The Steering Committee will have responsibility for giving direction to the Negotiators and will be overseen by the Executive Board. The Steering Committee receives confidential information from the negotiators and assists the team in identifying issues, goals and strategies.
   e) Teacher Rights Committee. The teacher rights committee shall have the responsibility to review grievances and make recommendations to the Executive Board on the processing of those grievances. The Executive Board will have final authority to send a grievance to Arbitration, taking into consideration the recommendation of the teacher rights committee and feedback from Education Minnesota legal staff. The teacher rights committee shall consist of the teacher rights coordinator (appointed by the president), members of the negotiations team, field staff, and teacher members representing various instructional levels. The teacher rights coordinator will be responsible for recruiting teachers to serve on the committee and will seek volunteers at the Representative Assembly and Executive Board meetings.
4. Membership Cadre: The membership cadre carries responsibility for maintaining and promoting membership in the union. The membership cadre chair will be responsible for putting together a committee of teachers to work on membership activities and communications. The AHEM President and Vice President will serve on the Membership Committee.
   a) Professional Development Coordinator: The Professional Development Coordinator will organize Meet and Confer sessions with the School Board. The Professional Development Coordinator will promote professional development opportunities through the AHEM Website.
   b) Membership Records: Membership records will be maintained by AHEM office staff and monitored periodically by the Membership cadre.
5. Elections Committee: The elections coordinator is responsible for organizing and overseeing all AHEM elections, including officer elections, Executive Board elections and contract ratification votes. The elections coordinator recruits members to serve as tellers for these elections.
   

C. CADRE CHAIR POLICIES

Stipend Guidelines
a) Stipends: Stipends for cadre leaders and coorindators will be recommended annually by the AHEM budget committee and approved by the Representative Assembly during the budgeting process.
b) Changes in stipends: If an increase in a cadre stipend is warranted, due to an unforeseen heavy workload, the president can bring a request for a stipend increase to the Executive Board for approval.
c) Cadre Co-Chairs: Cadres having Co-Chairs will divide the amount by any formula they agree on. If an agreement is not reached, then each shall receive fifty percent. Any further division of the stipend is at the option of the Council Chairperson(s).

IV. MISCELLANEOUS AHEM POSITIONS

A. AHEM POSITION ON BUDGET CUTS

1. Budget cuts should be taken as far away from the classroom as possible.
   (2-24-97)
   

B. AHEM POSITION ON USE OF PARAPROFESSIONALS

1. AHEM supports the use of paraprofessionals and auxiliary personnel to assist in the delivery of education programs, but only when under the direct supervision of an appropriately licensed teacher. However, AHEM strongly opposes paraprofessionals and auxiliary personnel providing direct instruction to students as a method of justifying increased class size and circumventing the hiring of teachers. AHEM believes that in no case should a certified teacher performing instructional duties be replaced by a paraprofessional. (4-3-95)
   

C. AHEM POSITION ON SUBSTITUTE TEACHERS DURING A STRIKE
In the event that a significant number of Anoka substitutes are hired to work in a striking school district, therefore creating a situation where District #11 teachers may be asked to cover classes for which no substitutes can be found, the AHEM will strongly urge all District #11 teachers to not accept such a request to cover classes as is their right under Article X, Section 10, Subdivision 2 of the Working Agreement.

D. AHEM POSITION ON UNION PRINTERS
AHEM will use either the in-house unionized printer at Education Minnesota or an outside union printer for all printing done by the local.

Revisions: 1-2-95 * 8-2-96 * 2-12-97 * 2-24-97 * 10-18-04 
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