PREAMBLE AND DEFINITIONS
The following definitions apply to these By-laws:
"Institute" means the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada.
"Council" means the Québec Regional Council.
"Regional Director" means the actual director for the duration of his term of office.
"Executive" means the Executive of the Québec Region.
"Regional Delegate" means voting member of the Regional Council.
"Regular Member" means members pursuant to the By-Laws and Regulations of the Institute.
"Region" means the geographic region as defined in the By-Laws and Regulations of the Institute.
"Substitute" means a voting member replacing a regional delegate at a Regional Council.
BY-LAW 1 APPLICATION
1.1 Any activity of the Québec Region is governed by the Constitution of the Institute and the By-Laws and Regulations referring thereto. In case of difference between the Québec Region Constitution and the Constitution of the Institute, the latter shall prevail.
BY-LAW 2 NAME
2.1 The name of this constituent body is the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada Québec Region, hereinafter referred to as the "the Region".
BY-LAW 3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
3.1 Further aims and objectives of the Institute in the Region.
3.2 Promote the establishment, the maintenance and the enhancing of the Institute structures and bodies in the Region.
3.3 Inform various Institute bodies of the concerns and needs of the membership in the Region.
3.4 Ensure that membership in the Region is provided with appropriate resources and services to protect their rights and prerogatives according to the provisions contained in legislations and collective agreements governing the employees.
3.5 Through the Council, represent the membership of the Region at Annual General Meetings, Special General Meetings and Meetings of the Board of Directors, as well as before the other bodies, as required.
3.6 Coordinate activities and actions of the regional bodies and submit their proposals and recommendations to the Institute.
BY-LAW 4 REGIONAL COUNCIL
4.1 Composition The Council shall normally comprise the Regional Director and one (1) delegate for each seventy-five (75) members, rounded to the nearest hundred (100), residing in the Region as of the thirty-first (31st) of December preceding the notice of the Council meeting, as per the list provided by the National Office of the Institute. The Regional Executive shall be ex-officio delegates to the Council.
4.2 Abstention If for two (2) consecutive Councils, a Branch or Sub-Group does not delegate, without reasonable reason and written justification, a member to the Council, that Branch or Sub-Group shall lose its reserved position.
4.3 President & Vice-President The elected Regional Director shall act as President of the Council.
4.4 Meetings The Council shall normally hold one (1) meeting each year or hold the maximum number of meetings according to the Policies, By-Laws and Regulations of the Institute. The meeting shall take place at least twelve (12) weeks before the Annual General Meeting of the Institute. If a delegate is unable to attend a Council Meeting, he is responsible for advising the Québec Regional Director who will find a substitute.
4.5 Notices The Chair of the Council shall be responsible for sending, through the Regional Office, notices of all meetings of the Council.
4.6.1 The interval between such meetings shall not exceed fifteen (15) months. Members shall be notified of the meeting and of any proposed changes to this constitution at least three (3) weeks prior to the date of the meeting.
4.6.2 Furthermore the Chair shall call a special Council meeting at the request, in writing, of the majority of the Executive or a third of the Council delegates.
4.7 Follow-up The President shall be responsible for following-up on the minutes, the decisions and the resolutions of the Council with the Institute and various bodies affected by them. The Vice-President shall act as substitute for the President of the Council, if required.
BY-LAW 5 REGIONAL EXECUTIVE
5.1 The Executive is responsible for managing the annual allowance paid to the Region by the Institute. Furthermore, the Executive shall apply any decision and resolution ratified by the Council. The Executive shall act as the decision-making body between Council Meetings. The Executive shall also be responsible for drafting the agenda for the Councils and to distribute it to the delegates before the date of the Council.
5.2 The Executive is comprised of the following:
- Regional Director, who acts as President
- a Secretary
- a Treasurer
- four (4) other members elected by the Council
- four (4) Branch Presidents designated ex-officio by their peers with the approval of the Council.
5.2.1 One of those elected members shall be designated Vice-President by the Executive.
5.2.2 Term of Office The Term of office of the Executive shall be three (3) years starting from the end of the Council in which it has been elected.
5.3 Executive duties
5.3.1 President The president is the chair of the Executive.
5.3.2 Vice-President The Vice-President shall act as substitute for the President of the Executive, if required.
5.3.3 Secretary The Secretary of the Executive shall ensure that the list of delegates to the Council is up to date, and shall be responsible for the:
- calling, at the request of the president, meetings of the Executive, and
- producing and circulating of minutes of the Executive meetings.
5.3.4 The Treasurer shall also be responsible for preparing the regional budget and for submitting it to the Executive. Following approval of the Executive, the Treasurer shall send it to the Institute with the request for the annual allowance of the Region. Furthermore, the Treasurer shall be responsible for producing a financial report for the Region and to circulate it, as requested, to the Institute, the members of the Council and the constituent bodies.
5.3.5 The eight (8) other Executive members shall assist the Executive as required, and liaise with the Region’s Branches and the Sub-Groups.
5.4 The Executive shall meet four (4) times a year or hold the maximum number of meetings according to the Policies, By-Laws and Regulations of the Institute. The President shall however call an Executive meeting at the written request of at least four (4) members of the Executive.
5.4.1 Should the Executive not include a member of the Youth Committee, the chair of the Committee, or his representative, shall sit in the meetings as an observer.
5.5 If a position of the Executive becomes vacant:
5.5.1 If it is more than halfway into the term of office, the Executive shall fill the position by appointment until the next elections.
5.5.2 If it is less than halfway into the term of office, the executive may fill by appointment the vacant position or assume the position’s functions until the next elections.
5.6 The Executive shall recommend to the presidents of PIPSC’s various national committees and to the Board of Directors the names of members from the Region.
BY-LAW 6 REGIONAL COMMITTEES
6.1 The Council may establish committees if required, with terms of reference and membership to be defined by the Council.
6.2 The Council shall approve the membership of the committees keeping in mind that every member of the Institute can serve on a committee.
6.3 Presidents of the regional committees shall be selected from the members of the Executive. However, if no member of the Executive is available, a delegate to the Council may perform the duties of the committee President.
6.4 The Council shall establish a Nominations Committee to receive the names of delegetes who wish to be candidates for the position of regional delegate.
6.5 The Nominations Committee is responsible for the selection of delegates to the Council.
BY-LAW 7 QUORUM & VOTE
7.1 The quorum of the Council shall be of the majority of the members of the Council.
7.2 The quorum of the Executive shall be the majority of the members of the Executive.
7.3 The quorum of a committee shall be the majority of the members of the said committee. Notwithstanding the preceding, the Executive may, at the request of the President of the committee, change the quorum of the said committee.
7.4 At meetings of the Council, the Executive or committees established by the Executive or the Council, the vote shall normally be by show of hands, and each member shall have one (1) vote. Proxy vote shall not be permitted.
BY-LAW 8 FINANCES
8.1 Financial Institution The funds of the Region shall be maintained in a bank account assigned by the Institute.
8.2 Expenditures The President, Vice-President and Treasurer of the Executive shall be mandated to authorize and ratify expenses charged to the regional account.
8.3 Auditing The members of the Executive and all delegates to the Council may carry out or request an audit of the financial situation of the Region.
8.4 All financial records shall be kept for the time period prescribed by Institute policy.
8.5 Signatures The President, Vice-President, Treasurer or a person nominated by the Executive shall be signing officers on the account. Two signatures are required on all cheques, except for funds transferred by the Institute.
8.6 Fiscal year The fiscal year of the Region shall be the calendar year.
BY-LAW 9 AMENDMENTS TO THE BY-LAWS
9.1 These By-Laws can be amended at a General Assembly of the Council. Approval for proposed amendments requires a simple majority of those voting.
9.2 All proposals for amendments to these By-Laws shall be submitted, in writing, to the Executive no later than six weeks prior to the Council. Proposed amendments may be submitted by any member of the Region. The notice of the Council at which the amendments will be considered, shall include:
a) the article to be amended; and
b) the new wording.
(See 8.1.2)
9.3 Any new by-law or amendment shall be submitted to the Institute By-Laws and Policies Committee.
9.4 These By-Laws and any amendments thereto shall take effect upon approval by the Institute and ratification by the Council.
BY-LAW 10 PROCEDURES
10.1 At any Council, Executive or Committee meeting, matters of procedure, insofar as they are not specifically provided for, shall be governed by a majority vote. The president of such meeting shall first rule on any matter of procedure or order and shall, in the absence of any By-Law to the contrary, rely upon and be governed by the latest version of the Code Morin available at the meeting.
10.2 Substitutes recognized by the delegates present at a Council shall have the status of delegate for the period of the Council in which they participate.
BY-LAW 11 REGULATIONS
11.1 The Executive may adopt and amend such Regulations, not inconsistent with these By-Laws, as it deems necessary or useful for the operation of the Region.
11.2 All proposed Regulations and amendments thereto shall be submitted to the Institute for approval. They shall take effect on a date determined by the Executive, but not earlier than the date they were approved by the Institute.
11.3 Such Regulation shall be presented to the next Council, and may be rescinded or amended by such meeting, in which case it shall be subject to Article 11.2.
BY-LAW 12
The official languages of the Region shall be French and English. Both languages can be used at any time, in all the activities and before any body of the Region. The text of all sections of these By-Laws is valid in both languages. In cases of differences in the interpretation or significance between the two versions, the French version shall prevail. In these By-Laws, terms used in the masculine or feminine gender, in the plural or in the singular, may be replaced to give the true meaning of the provisions concerned.
REGULATIONS
R4.1.1 Regional Council - Composition
Wherever possible, the distribution of delegates shall be as follows:
- one (1) president or his representative per Branch;
- other delegates shall be selected taking into consideration :
- the diversity of the groups within the Region;
- the diversity of the employers within the Region;
- the geographical distribution of the members in the Region;
- the individual’s engagement
- the rotation or alternation of substitutes
- future requirements
R4.1.2 Any member of the Region elected to sit on the Board of Directors may, if desired, serve on the Council as an ex-officio member.
R4.1.3 If a Branch or Sub-Group does not mandate a member to a Council meeting or if a delegate will be absent without being replaced, the Executive may nominate a member of the Region to participate at the meeting.
R4.1.4 To become a substitute a member must send a request, in writing, to the Regional Director.
R4.4.1 The Regional Council may be chaired by a regional delegate with the approval of two-thirds (2/3) of the delegates on the Regional Council.
R4.5.1 Delegates wishing to add items to the agenda of a Council meeting shall send these items, including the appropriate information, to the Secretary of the Executive via the Regional Office, at least four (4) weeks before the Council meeting.
R5.2.1 Any member of the Region elected to sit on the Board of Directors may, if desired, assist the Executive as a friend of the Executive.
R5.2.2 The outgoing Director may, if desired, assist the Executive as a friend of the Executive for the year following the expiration of his/her mandate as an ex-officio of the Executive.
R5.2.3.1 The Region Executive shall appoint an Elections Committee (comprised of three members) to receive nominations for positions on the Region Executive, to conduct the elections and supervise the destruction of ballots (where applicable). Any member of the Elections Committee who becomes a candidate in the election shall resign from the Elections Committee.
R5.2.3.1.1 Elections results – The Elections Committee shall announce the results of the elections to the Council indicating the numbers of votes each candidate received for the different Executive positions.
R5.2.3.2 Election Notice
The Elections Committee shall distribute an Election Notice to all members of the Council at least six (6) weeks prior to the closing date for nominations along with a nomination form for vacant positions and a formal notification including the election date and the deadline for the submission of nomination forms.
R5.2.3.2.1 If more than one (1) candidate is running for the position of Secretary or Treasurer, a ballot election will be held. The candidate receiving the highest number of votes for the position of Secretary or Treasurer shall be declared elected.
R5.2.3.2.2 If more than four (4) candidates are running for the positions of member of the Regional Executive and Branch President positions, a ballot election shall be held.
- If after the initial voting two (2) or more candidates are tied for Council positions and Branch President positions the Elections Committee shall run another election that includes only the candidates that were tied in the initial vote.
- The four candidates receiving the highest number of votes for the positions of member of the Regional Council or Branch President shall be declared elected.
R5.2.3.3 The new Executive shall take office immediately after the meeting in which they were elected. General elections will be held in the years immediately preceding the years evenly divisible by three (3), 2012, 2015, etc.
The Elections Committee shall inform the members of the Elections results at their earliest.
R6.3.1 Regional Committees The Committee Presidents shall submit an activity report at regular meetings of the Council. Each committee shall appoint a Secretary responsible for drafting the Minutes of the meetings. A copy of the minutes shall be forwarded to the Regional Office within the two (2) weeks following their approval.
R6.4.1 The Nomination Committee shall send to all delegates in the Region a call for nominations at least four (4) weeks before closing of the nominations.
R6.5 Nomination Committee The Nomination Committee shall be comprised of three (3) members of the Executive as determined by the Executive.
R6.5.2 The Nomination Committee shall communicate its decision, in writing, to each person who submitted his or her candidacy. In the case of candidates who were not selected, they shall be informed of the reasons why in the notice of the decision.
R6.5.3 A candidate who was not selected and who is dissatisfied with the reasons invoked by the Nomination Committee may, within fourteen (14) calendar days following the notice of decision, appeal the decision to the Regional Appeals Committee which will review the complaint as expeditiously as possible.
R6.6 Regional Appeals Committee The Regional Appeals Committee shall comprise the Executive which, during its normal meeting, should, as the first item of business, review all appeals relating to a decision of the Nomination Committee. The decision of the Regional Appeals Committee is final and binding.
Adopted by the Québec Regional Council
April 3, 1976
Approved by the Board of Directors
October 15, 1977
Amended by the Québec Regional Council
September 10, 1983
Amendments approved by the Board of Directors
January 18, 1986
Amended by the Québec Regional Council
April 22, 1989
Amendments approved by the Board of Directors
April 13, 1991
Amended by the Québec Regional Council
August 28, 1992
Amendments approved by the Board of Directors
February 20, 1993
Amended by the Québec Regional Council
April 24, 1993
Amendments approved by the Board of Directors
August 14, 1993
Amended by the Québec Regional Council
September 10, 1994
Amendments approved by the Board of Directors
September 30, 1994
Amended by the Québec Regional Council
May 6, 1995
Approved by the Board of Directors
August 26, 1995
Approved by the Québec Regional Council
June 7, 1997
Approved by the Board of Directors
September 20, 1997
Amended by the Québec Regional Council
May 25, 2001
Amendments approved by the Board of Directors,
August 11, 2001
Amendments approved by the Board of Directors
May 11, 2006
Amendments approved by the Board of Directors
August 10-11, 2009
Amendments approved by the Board of Directors
November 4-5, 2009
Amendments approved by the Board of Directors
August 19-20, 2010
Amendments approved by the Board of Directors
August 17, 2012
Amendments approved by the Board of Directors
August 17, 2013
Amendments approved by the Board of Directors
March 21, 2015
Amendments approved by the Board of Directors
October 14, 2017