Text 5: At a Trade Union Meeting

Trade union meetings are always public. That means anyone can attend. Meetings with restricted admission (attendance) are called closed meetings. That means they are held behind closed doors. A closed meeting of a committee or other body is sometimes called a private session. A newspaper report in its account of such a meeting will state that “the committee met in private”.

Now here is an account of an electrician trade union meeting held at the shop floor in keeping with Trade Rules to elect a new shop steward.

All the members of the union were delegates with full rights. (At party congresses or (A. E.) conventions there are also delegates with advisory vote, that is with voice but no vote.).

The meeting had originally been scheduled for Tuesday but had to be postponed because the required quorum had not been present.

Jack Green was in the chair (was presiding).

“Ladies and gentlemen! According to standing regulations we are to elect a new shop steward. According to the Rules of Procedure each candidate must be discussed (considered) individually. Voting is by secret ballot. Are there any questions?”

“No, I move that we proceed to nominate and discuss the candidates.”

“Any objections? None! Carried!”

Mr. Fielding then asked for the floor. “I nominate Mr. Green. He has been our shop steward for 3 years and as such, he has a very good record. All this time he has been at the day-to-day level of representation between the company and the union. He is recognized by the Management and respected by the union members. I am sure he will justify our trust.”

After a sufficient number of candidates had been nominated someone got up and said:

“I move that nominations be closed.”

“Are there any objections?” the chairman asked.

“None.”

“As there are no objections the motion is carried.”

The 5 nominees on the list came up in turn and answered all the questions that the meeting put to them. These were chiefly about their background and experience in trade union activities.

All the nominees but one were left on the secret ballot list. Miss Van Dyke challenged Mr. McFergusson on account of his ambitions to get more personal power. The challenge aroused a heated discussion and the chairman had to call the meeting to order.

“Order! Order!” the chairman called out several times.

The majority was in favor of withdrawing the name from the list, and after a show of hands a decision was taken to this effect. The chairman then announced, “We shall have to elect a committee to take the ballot (to count the vote). Are there any motions (proposals, suggestions)?”

I move we elect a 3-person committee (a committee of 3), someone called out.

“Any other motions?”

“None.”

When the ballot committee had been elected one of the delegates raised his hand:

“Point of order! I move that a new chairman be elected since the present chairman is one of the candidates.”

When that issue was settled the conference was adjourned for one hour. The adjournment was necessary to type the ballots and to prepare the ballot boxes for voting.

In an hour’s time the delegates were invited to vote. The voter was given a ballot with the names of the nominees (candidates). As there were five names on the list one was expected to cross 4 names out. Then each voter came up to the ballot box, which had been carefully sealed, and dropped his ballot into a slit in the top. In twenty minutes the voting was over.

After the ballots had been counted Mrs. McBride took the floor to report on behalf of the Ballot Committee.

“The count of votes conducted by us has given the following results. Out of 120 ballots cast 2 have been declared not valid (invalid). The reasons for our decision in each case have been given in our report. The following results were recorded: Mr. Green – 116 for… etc.

Therefore, by a majority of votes Mr. Green is elected shop steward. I submit the report of the Ballot Committee together with the ballots to the chairman.”

As the count was not challenged and there were no further questions the meeting was closed.