TO ALL AFFILIATED LOCAL UNIONS:
The International Constitution provides, in Article III, Section 2: “The regular Convention shall be held every four years. It shall convene on such date and in such place as the International President, with the approval of the General Executive Board, shall designate.”
“The International Secretary Treasurer shall issue a Convention Call to all local unions in the third month immediately preceding the convening of the regular Convention.”
“The Convention shall not extend beyond ten days of sessions, except by two thirds vote of the duly accredited delegates.”
In accordance with the above, you are hereby notified that the Forty-Second Constitutional Convention of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union will convene in the city of Hollywood, Florida, beginning at 10:00 a.m. on Tuesday, July 28, 2026, and concluding on Thursday, July 30, 2026.
QUALIFICATIONS OF DELEGATES
Article III, Section 5 of the International Constitution states that: “Every delegate to the Convention must (1) have been a continuously good-standing, dues-paying member of the International Union and local union the delegate represents for at least two continuous years next prior to election; (2) be registered with the International Union Secretary-Treasurer, in accordance with Section 6 of this Article, as a duly elected delegate by the local union the delegate represents; (3) have worked at least two years immediately preceding the Convention as a wage earner in any branch of the trades, except for periods of layoff (including layoffs arising from plant shutdowns) and terminations being grieved, not to exceed twelve (12) continuous months, under the jurisdiction of the International Union or as an officer or employee of the International Union or a local union.
(The General Executive Board has waived the requirement of showing union labels.)
“Exempted from the requirements of (1) and (3) above shall be delegates whose local unions have not been in existence for two years, provided that the continuously good-standing, dues-paying and wage-earning period of such delegates are not less than six months.”
Article III, Section 4 provides: “Each local union may elect an alternate delegate at the same time the regular delegates are elected. Alternates must have the same qualifications as delegates. In the event of the inability of any delegate to attend the Convention because of an emergency, the alternate may replace the delegate, provided that the local union notifies the International Secretary-Treasurer of the change.”
ELECTION OF DELEGATES
The election of delegates is subject to provisions of the International Constitution and the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act of 1959 (Landrum Griffin Law).
REPRESENTATION OF DELEGATES
The International Constitution in Article III, Section 4, provides: “Local unions in good-standing including those which have been organized under the jurisdiction of the International Union six (6) months previous to the Convention shall be entitled to representation.”
“Local unions with a monthly average International per capita tax on its dues-paying membership of
- less than 251 shall be entitled to two (2) delegates;
- from 251 to 500 to three (3) delegates;
- from 501 to 750 to four (4) delegates;
- from 751 to 1,000 to five (5) delegates;
- from 1,001 to 1,400 to six (6) delegates;
- from 1,401 to 1,800 to seven (7) delegates;
- from 1,801 to 2,200 to eight (8) delegates;
- from 2,201 to 2,600 to nine (9) delegates;
- over 2,601 to ten (10) delegates;
but in no case shall a local union be entitled to more than ten (10) delegates. Any two or three locals having less than one hundred members each located within an area of 250 miles may combine in the selection of a delegate. No other local unions may combine in the selection of a delegate and no delegate shall represent more than three such local unions.”
“The number of members of a union shall be the average monthly per capita tax that it has paid to the International Union on its dues-paying membership for twelve (12) months inclusive of the fourth month previous to the Convention, as certified by the International Secretary Treasurer to the Credentials Committee.”
“Delegates representing up to twenty five (25) members shall be entitled to one vote, and to one additional vote for each additional twenty five members or major fraction thereof they represent. The number of votes of local unions which are represented by more than one delegate shall be equally divided to the nearest whole number among all their delegates.”
REGISTRATION OF DELEGATES
Article III, Section 6 provides: “At least forty (40) days prior to the opening of the Convention, the authorized local union officer shall provide to the International Secretary-Treasurer the name, address, and membership initiation date of each duly elected delegate of the local union. This information shall be furnished to the International Secretary-Treasurer in a fashion and format to be determined by the General Executive Board.”
“The International Secretary Treasurer shall post on the official website of the International Union not less than fifteen (15) days prior to the convening of the Convention, a list of all the delegates elect and the local union each delegate represents.”
“Delegates to the Convention shall sign in at the Union’s Convention site registration desk upon arriving at the Convention hotel. Identification may be requested at the registration desk in order to seat a delegate. Protests against the delegates must be in written affidavit form, stating the specific grounds for protest and signed and sworn to by the party objecting to the seating of the delegate. These affidavits must be transmitted by registered or certified mail to the International Secretary Treasurer (with a copy to the local union) and the envelope, properly addressed to the International Secretary Treasurer, must be postmarked at least ten (10) days prior to the convening of the Convention.”
COMPENSATION OF DELEGATES
Article III, Section 7. “The International Union shall pay each delegate in attendance at the regular Convention and registered at a facility designated by the International President as hosting the Convention as compensation in the amount of $595, and shall provide each local union with a delegate transportation allowance that is based upon the cost of regular coach transportation by air from the delegate’s home city to the Convention city and return by direct route; provided, however, that such delegates remain in attendance upon the Convention commencing with its first day’s session until its adjournment and remain registered in such designated facility for the same time period. Compensation and transportation for special convention shall be set by the General Executive Board.”
“Transportation and compensation of protested delegates shall not be furnished unless and until such delegates have been seated as accredited.”
CONVENTION RESOLUTIONS
Article III, Section 10. “All resolutions by local unions to be submitted to the Convention either must be received at International Headquarters at least forty (40) days prior to the opening of the Convention, or must be postmarked in a properly addressed envelope at least forty five (45) days prior to the opening of the Convention. Each resolution must deal with but one subject matter, be submitted in triplicate and each copy signed only by all delegates-elect, or a majority of the Executive Board.”
“Resolutions by the General Executive Board may be introduced at the Convention, provided such resolutions have the approval of a majority of the General Executive Board. All other resolutions may only be introduced with the approval of a two thirds vote of the Convention.”
Local unions are urged to forward all resolutions as soon as they are formulated in order that they may be printed for distribution to the delegates.
In order to facilitate the printing of resolutions, each resolution must deal with only one subject, be typewritten, and only one side of each page should be used.
HOTEL ACCOMMODATIONS
Information with reference to hotel accommodations, etc., will be forwarded upon receipt of the delegate’s registration information.
GENERAL
We hope that your local union will have full representation at the Forty-Second Constitutional Convention of the Bakery, Confectionery, Tobacco Workers and Grain Millers International Union, AFL CIO, CLC, in Hollywood, Florida. Your participation is essential in assisting us in setting priorities during the ensuing four years in important activities relative to economic advancement of our membership, political action activities, and the organizing of the unorganized workers in our jurisdiction.
FRATERNALLY YOURS,
Anthony L. Shelton, International President
David G. Woods, International Secretary-Treasurer
GENERAL EXECUTIVE BOARD
| Shad Clark Roger Miller Jason Davis Sylvain Gagné Zach Townsend Walter Borgan Pierre Luc Doucet Aaron Graves | Paul LaBuda Earl Lublow Letitia Malone Gary Oskoian Cameron Taylor Doyle Townson Jeff Webb Donald Woods |
