CONSTITUTION OF
THE BLOOMFIELD EDUCATION ASSOCIATION, Inc.
ARTICLE I - NAME
Section 1: The name of this organization shall be The Bloomfield Education Association, Inc.,
hereinafter referred to as The Association.
Section 2: It is incorporated as a non-profit corporation under Title 15, Sections 2-8 of Revised
Statutes of the State of New Jersey.
Section 3: The Association shall apply for tax exempt status under Internal Revenue Code 501 c (5)
and govern itself in a manner that will not jeopardize its tax exempt status. The Association may
apply to NJEA to be included in a group exemption letter.
NOTE: “Tax exempt status” only applies to income tax and covers money collected by an
association, i.e. dues. NJEA and its affiliates associations are labor organizations, and, as such,
cannot be sales tax exempt.
ARTICLE II - AFFILIATIONS
The Association shall affiliate with The Essex County Education Association, The New Jersey
Education Association, The National Education Association, and any other professional organization
which the council shall approve. The Association shall abide by the New Jersey Education
Association’s standards for local association affiliation and shall forward a copy of its constitution
to NJEA. Affiliation shall not legally carry any liability for damages on the Association or NJEA due
to actions taken independently by either.
ARTICLE III - PURPOSES
Section 1: to work for the welfare of students, the advancement of education, and the
improvement of instructional opportunities for all
Section 2: to develop and promote the adoption of such personnel policies and standards of
preparation and participation as mark a profession
Section 3: to advance professional rights and status and responsibilities of its members as
educators
Section 4: to represent its members and other employees, where applicable, in negotiations and
grievances with the School Board on all matters of compensation and all other terms and
conditions of employment
Section 5: to form a representative body to speak with authority for the members
Section 6: to establish cooperation between the educator and the community
Section 7: to create in the community a deeper sense of the dignity of the profession and of the
importance of the interests which it represents
ARTICLE - IV - MEMBERSHIP
Section 1: This association shall be composed of active and honorary members.
Section 2: Active membership in The Association shall be open to all teachers, as defined by the
agreement between the Bloomfield Board of Education and the Bloomfield Education Association,
and instructional aides in the Bloomfield Public School District.
Section 3: Any other employee group of The Board of Education may become active members of
The Association upon payment of annual dues set for such membership and upon approval, of and
by a majority vote of the representative council.
Section 4: Honorary members shall have all the privileges of The Association excepting those of
voting and holding office.
Section 5: Active members, where eligible, of The Association, shall also be members of The Essex
County Education Association, The New Jersey Education Association, and The National Education
Association.
Section 6: Rights of Membership
A. Every active member shall have the equal rights and privileges within the organization to
nominate candidates for office; to vote in elections or on referenda of The Association; to attend
membership meetings; to participate in the deliberations and voting upon the business of such
meetings except that in voting on contract ratification only members in the appropriate unit of
representation shall have the right to vote.
B. Every member shall have the right to meet and assemble fully with other members to express
any views, arguments or opinions; to express views at meetings upon candidates in an election of
The Association or upon any business properly brought before the meeting.
C. No member shall be fined, suspended, or expelled or otherwise disciplined except for non-
payment of dues, without being served with specific written charges and given a reasonable time
in which to prepare a defense which may be asserted at a full and fair hearing.
ARTICLE V - OFFICERS
Section 1: The officers of the association shall consist of a President, Vice-President, Secretary
and Treasurer. From the time the officers assume their office until their terms expire or until they
leave office, they shall be trustees of The Association hereafter termed the executive committee.
The Teacher Advocate, Administrative Assistant, Assistant Advocate and Communications Director
shall also be members of the executive committee as non-voting members.
Section 2: All of the officers shall be active members of The Association.
Section 3: Election, terms and vacancies
A. The election of officers shall take place annually in each building during the first school
Wednesday of April. Members shall vote for officers by secret ballot. The one-person, one-vote
principle for representation shall apply except that the Association shall guarantee ethnic minority
representation at least proportionate to its ethnic minority.
B. The officers, then elected, shall hold office from the first day of July until June 30 of the year
marking the end of their term of office.
C. Appointments to fill vacancies shall be made by a majority vote of the council.
D. The President and Treasurer shall each hold office for three years. All other officers shall hold
office for two years.
Section 4: Officers of The Association shall serve their terms so long as they satisfactorily perform
the duties of their office. Where an officer is guilty of misconduct, such officer may be removed for
cause (shown after notice and hearing) and by a majority vote of the members of The Association.
A. Recommendation for recall can be made by the submission of a petition containing the
signatures of fifty percent of the membership or of a 2/3 vote of the council to the executive
committee.
B. The executive committee shall notify, in writing, any officer who has been recommended for
recall within five working days of the submission of the petition or of the council vote.
C. Any officer may appeal, in writing, to the executive committee.
D. The executive committee shall schedule hearings whenever necessary, to review the
recommendation of recall of an officer within five working days of the written notification.
E. The report of those hearings shall be made available to the membership within five working
days of the hearing.
F. A general membership meeting shall be called two weeks after the issuance of the report.
G. Such recall shall be determined by a majority vote of the membership in attendance at said
meeting.
Section 5: Duties
In addition to those duties specified elsewhere in this Constitution, those in general practice,
those established by resolution of the council or those defined in Roberts Rules of Order,
Revised, the
A. President shall deliver an annual report to the council during its annual membership meeting.
Notes of this annual report shall be placed in both the files of The Association and in each school
building.
B. Vice-President shall keep records of membership and handle the “good and welfare” fund. In
addition, the Vice-President will assume responsibility for the annual membership workshop.
C. Secretary shall handle all designated correspondence as well as the fall and spring social
events, and maintain a file of all official records, and record the minutes of The Association.
D. Treasurer shall submit an annual financial statement which shall be distributed to all members
with a copy forwarded to NJEA, prepare an annual budget, maintain a roll of Association members
and arrange for an annual audit of Association finances shall file the appropriate Federal and State
forms; and shall be bonded under a policy provided by NJEA.
The bank account(s) in which all deposits are made shall be in the name of the Association.
Notification of the name of the bank in which dues are deposited shall be sent to NJEA. Any
change of the bank in which dues are deposited shall be sent to NJEA within thirty (30) days of the
change.
Endorsement of checks shall be limited to endorsements for deposit to the credit of the
Association only. No payments in cash (including checks made out to “cash”) shall be made from
the funds of the Association. Association bank accounts shall be reconciled by someone other
than the treasurer. The books and accounts of the treasurer shall be examined at least once a
year.
Section 6: Expenses
All officers shall be reimbursed for expenses incurred in the conduct of Association business,
upon approval of the council and presentation of appropriate documentation and or receipts.
ARTICLE VI - THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Section 1: The Executive Committee shall consist of the elected officers of The Association. The
Teacher Advocate, Administrative Assistant, Assistant Advocate and Communications Director shall
also serve on the committee as non-voting members.
Section 2: The committee shall hold regular monthly meetings. The time, date, and place of these
meetings shall be determined by the President. Other meetings shall be held when requested by
three members of the committee.
Section 3: The duties of the committee shall be to advise the President and formulate policies,
programs and goals for The Association.
Section 4. The President shall invite officers-elect to meetings of the committee.
ARTICLE VII - THE COUNCIL
Section 1: The voting members of the council shall be the elected officers of The Association and
the elected representatives or their alternates.
Section 2: Active members in each school shall elect one representative and an alternate for
every fifteen active members or fraction thereof.
Section 3: Election of representatives and alternates shall take place during the last week in May
with the one year term beginning July 1.
Section 4: The council shall have the power to authorize the expenditures of Association money,
set the dues and other assessments for The Association, act on reports of committees, and
approve resolutions and other policy statements. It may adopt such rules governing the
employment of staff, the conduct of The Association, and the conduct of meetings as are
consistent with this constitution. Powers not delegated to the officers or other groups in The
Association shall be vested in the council.
Section 5: The council shall meet on the first school Wednesday of each month of the school year
or upon such alternate dates as voted upon by the council. The President may call for a special
meeting of the council provided notification is given to the representatives two school days prior
to the meeting. Members of The Association may attend any meeting of the council as non-voting
members.
Section 6: It shall be the duty of the elected representatives to report to their schools the
proceedings of council meetings. Minutes of council meetings shall be kept by the Secretary and
shall be provided for each member within ten school days of each meeting.
Section 7: A quorum for council meetings shall consist of a simple majority of the schools.
ARTICLE VIII- THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
Section 1: The conference committee shall survey the members and prepare a proposed package
to be negotiated with the Board of Education by The Association’s negotiating team in all areas of
member welfare and general working conditions.
Section 2: The committee shall consist of; the President, teacher advocate, four representatives
from the High School, two members of the Middle School, one representative from each
elementary school, and one representative from Bridges. Representatives shall be selected by
the membership in their constituent buildings.
Section 3: A negotiations team shall be selected by and from the membership of the conference
committee. This team shall be empowered by The Association to negotiate all contract matters with
the Board of Education and / or its representatives. The negotiations team shall be an autonomous
group. The team’s membership will consist of two high school teachers, one middle school
teacher, three teachers from the elementary schools, one from Forest Glen, and the Teacher
Advocate. The President will serve ex-officio voting only in the case of an evenly split vote. There
shall be a total of nine members of the negotiations team.
Section 4: A chairperson shall be selected by the committee and a chairperson shall be selected
by the team.
Section 5: All vacancies shall be filled by the President through an interim appointment of a
member of the same representative group.
ARTICLE IX - GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS
Section 1: The annual meeting of The Association shall be held on the last school Wednesday in
March.
Section 2: Special meetings of the association may be called by the President. Active members
may call for a special meeting by filing a petition with the Secretary. This petition shall state the
reason for the meeting and bear the signatures of thirty five members representing at least three
buildings. The President shall then call for the meeting within a period of ten school days
subsequent to the filing of the petition.
Section 3: The order of the business at any regular Representative Council /General Membership
meeting shall be as follows:
A. Call to Order
B. Approval of Minutes
C. Correspondence
D. Report of the Treasurer
E. Reports of Standing Committees
F. Reports of Special Committees
G. Old Business
H. New Business
I. Adjournment
Article X – Fiscal Year
The fiscal year of the Association shall begin September 1 and end August 31.
Article XI – Non-compliance and Dissolution
The Association shall adhere to those NJEA policies wherein non-compliance would constitute a
danger to the welfare of the member of the Association or to NJEA. The NJEA Delegate Assembly
shall determine what constitutes a danger to NJEA. NJEA may, at the request of the NJEA Executive
Committee and 10 percent of the members of the Association, conduct an evaluation of the
Association under guidelines established by the NJEA Delegate Assembly.
In the event of dissolution, all properties and assets, and assets of this corporation remaining,
after paying or providing for all debts and obligations, shall be distributed and paid over to such
fund or corporation organized and operated as a labor union as the Board of Trustees shall
determine, and as shall, at the time, qualify as a tax exempt organization under Section 501 (c) (5) of
the Internal Revenue Code, or as the same may be amended.
Article XII – Amendments
Amendments to the Constitution may be proposed by thirty percent (30 percent) of the
Representative Council, or by a majority vote of the Executive Committee. A majority vote of the
members attending any regular meeting of the general membership or a special meeting of the
general membership called for this purpose, shall be necessary for the adoption of such
amendments provided that notice of the meeting and proposed amendment(s) has been posted in
each building or worksite at least two (2) weeks prior to the meeting.
CONSTITUTION
OF THE
BLOOMFIELD EDUCATION ASSOCIATION
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