No offense Brother canaryinthemine but Robert's Rules of Order, The IBT Constitution and our Bylaws are all a waste of time and money. Ghosts of procedures to be followed. I can provide you with a heap of evidence that the Local, Joint Council and the IBT have blatantly ignored all three and then some. Anyone who feels otherwise has never tried to enforce them. That is the #1 reason that I am down on our union and will never stomp for anyone to join it.
And none taken,........because what you've said is true in varying degrees from one Local or Joint Council to another.
What I was getting at is that sometimes Local officers........and even IBT ...."leadership "....(can you believe it?).......use that protocol against the members.
Ask an awkward question at the monthly meeting? " Sit down Brother,.....you're out of order!".............file an embarrassing grievance?......."Well, you didn't cite the proper Article, and you haven't filled the form completely...... Grievance denied!"........question the actions of an IBT officer?...........Dead silence......,...because they've insured there is no accountability to the rank-and-file .....once they are elected......No "proper" protocol, as it were..
My point is, ....they use our ignorance of the protocol against us,....to justify their inaction. But,......if you do attempt to follow the rules,.....,the "game" requires that they have to respond to you........might be total horsepuckey of a response,......but they have to satisfy the motions of protocol.
Every once in a while, they get tangled up in the protocol,.....the Rules,......and then sometimes you can get some satisfaction ........or some honest answers..... out of them.
Their ignoring the wishes of the rank-and-file, and use of the rules to justify such.......is the reason there are two completely opposing philosophy's of how to run a Union,.,.....and a convention coming soon to determine which one will prevail. Lots of protocol, and Robert's Rules of Order there......
Let's see who twists them to their advantage.....