This is the call for the Ninth Triennial Convention of the Nunavut Employees Union (NEU), which will take place at the Aqsarniit Hotel in Iqaluit November 6-8, 2023.
(To access a Convention Call PDF: Inuktitut , or for the English PDF of the Call).
What happens at NEU conventions? The NEU Triennial Convention is where Union Delegates from across Nunavut debate and adopt resolutions and budgets that direct how the Union will spend its money and decide what priorities we should pursue until the next convention. It is the supreme governing body of the Union. All the decisions made at the Convention are done through voting by the Delegates in attendance. To ensure that members are well-represented, Delegates are elected by their Locals. Every Local has the right to elect Delegates based on the number of members in good standing. It is important that every Local send Delegates to make sure voices from across Nunavut are heard. Each Local is also entitled to send resolutions to the Convention. Please see the Call for Resolutions for more information (For the Inuktitut version). Rules and procedures for the NEU Triennial Convention, including delegate entitlement, are set by NEU Bylaw 13.
Elections for the NEU Executive: The Convention is also where senior Union leadership is elected. This includes: President;; Executive Vice-President (two positions); Treasurer; Secretary; and Alternates to the 2nd Executive Vice-President, the Treasurer and the Secretary. The call for nominations for these offices will be available soon. Each candidate for the above positions must be a Delegate to the Convention. Regional Vice-Presidents are elected in their region before the Convention. (For Inuktitut ) Rules and procedures for elections for Union officers are set by NEU Bylaw 12. (For the RVP/ARVP Nomination Forms in English or in Inuktitut).
Who can be a Delegate to the Convention? Any member in good standing may be elected by their Local to Convention. The number of Delegates each Local may send is determined by how many members in good standing are in the Local. This is in accordance with NEU Bylaw 13, Section 5. Being in good standing means that the member has signed a Union Card and is paying dues. Members of the NEU Executive are also delegates to the Convention. The Union covers all costs for delegates to convention. This includes travel, per diems and loss of salary. Registration and travel information will be sent to Delegates as their names are submitted by Locals. Please see the NEU Bylaws for more information on how many Delegates each Local can send. This information will be provided to each Local. Delegates and Alternates are normally elected by secret ballot at Local meetings. If a Delegate cannot attend the Convention, an Alternate Delegate will replace them. Locals may start to elect Delegates and Alternates now. The deadline to submit Local Delegate and Alternate names to the NEU is midnight MDT on September 7, 2023, which is 60 days before the convention begins.
What if my Local wants to send an observer to the Convention? Each Local has the right to send observers to the Convention at Local expense. In fact, any member in good standing may also be an observer at their own expense.
Resolutions: All locals, and the NEU executive, are entitled to submit resolutions to the Convention. Please see the Call for Resolutions (For the Inuktitut version). The deadline for Locals to submit Convention Resolutions to the NEU office is midnight MDT on September 7, 2023, which is 60 days before the convention begins.
Education: If you would like to find out more about resolution writing and Convention, please check out the PSAC’s online courses at https://education.psac-afpc.com/?_ga=2.157799866.1496202233.1687449607-490686282.1684883451 . There are two courses for this, “Writing Effective Resolutions,” and “Convention Preparation.” These courses are at your own time and pace. Moreover, if you or your Local are interested in more training on writing and submitting resolutions, please email communications@neu.ca to express your interest. We should be able to offer such training in late July or early August so that there’s enough time before the September 7 deadline.
If you need any additional information, please contact the NEU Executive Director Daniel Kinsella at daniel@neu.ca.
