Purpose:
As per Article IV Section 2a of the Constitution; The President, who shall be a full-time elected Officer, shall be responsible for the general management and direction, subject to the authority of the Executive Board and this constitution, of the business and affairs of the Union. The President shall preside over all general membership meetings and Executive Board meetings; shall be responsible for the preparation of the agenda for these meetings; shall be responsible for the due and proper administration of the Constitution; shall be responsible for relations with bodies internal (see Article IV, Section 2b) and external (see Article IV, Section 2c) to the University; shall be a non-voting ex-officio member of all Committees unless otherwise specified. The President may be subject to reasonable requirements of insurability and/or bondability as determined by the Executive Board (as taken from Article VIII, Section 1). The President shall be paid by the Union, while holding office, at a salary commensurate with the position, but not less than his/her normal salary rate.
Designation:
The President is a full-time paid elected position, with a two-year term (January to December). The President is an Officer of the union and shall also be designated a Union Steward (if not already a Steward). Entitlements are determined in accordance with the “Full Time Officer Entitlements” policy.
Confidentiality:
The President must sign a Confidentiality Agreement as they are privy to confidential information and discussions.
Role:
YUSA Office
The president is responsible for the general management of the union office including providing direction and instruction to YUSA office staff.
Financial
The president works in consultation with the treasurer, bookkeeper, financial planner, auditor as appropriate to review the income and expenditures and investments of the union.
The president provides direction and oversees the work of to the bookkeeper and administrative coordinator for day-to-day financial activities of the union (e.g. reviewing and approving expenses and invoices, making bank deposits, issuing cheques, etc. ) The President reviews all invoices and expense claims submitted to the union and provides approval for the bookkeeper to process such invoices and expenses.
The President, in consultation with the Treasurer and the Executive Board, reviews the financial positions of the union and any investments held by the union.
The president provides assistance to the treasurer in creation of the budget
Committees
The president is an ex-officio member of all committees and exercises oversight and provides support to committees. Where possible, the president will attend the meetings of standing committees, especially the committees which are designated as part of their portfolio.
Bargaining
The president acts as chief negotiator and spokesperson during bargaining for both the Unit 1 and Unit 2 collective agreements. The president helps identify and set priorities in bargaining.
Stewards
The president, in conjunction with the steward coordinator, will facilitate and set the agenda for regular steward meetings and inform stewards of pertinent issues, and identifies and coordinates appropriate training for stewards.
Grievances, Mediations, and Arbitrations
The president drafts grievances and prepares with grievors for participation in the grievance process.
Attends all mediations and arbitrations with the employer and has signing authority to bind the union in memorandums of settlement. The president Identifies policy issues to be dealt with through the grievance process. Works with legal counsel as necessary to support the grievance process and prepares for arbitrations in conjunction with legal counsel. The president attends grievance committee meetings where possible to speak to grievances before the committee.
Member Support
The President may represent members at meetings with management in accordance with the Collective Agreement (i.e., 7.07, 11.01, Work Accommodation, Grievance Step 2 meetings, mediations and arbitrations) and also responsible for meeting with members who have questions and concerns about the Collective Agreement and/or their rights.
Joint Committees, Senate & Confederation of Canadian Unions
The president acts as a representative on the following committees: Disability Support Management Committee, Joint Work Accommodation Committee, All University Pension Committee, Joint Job Evaluation Committee and Joint Training Committee. The President is a Senator in the university Senate and attends and speaks to issues relevant to the membership in that venue. The president acts as a delegate to meetings with the Confederation of Canadian Unions.
Other
The President is responsible for raising issues of concern to the membership with management in regularly scheduled Labour/Management Committee meetings and advocating for the best interests of the membership.
YusApuY Executive Board Meetings
The President presides over YusApuY Executive Board meetings for the duration of their two-year term beginning in January of their first year and ending in December in the second year. The President is therefore responsible for attending all Executive Board Meetings. The Executive Board is Chaired, on a rotation, by the three full-time Officers; every three meetings will be chaired by the President. The schedule (frequency, day and time) for Executive Board meetings for the year is determined by the Executive Board at the two-day planning retreat held at the beginning of the year. Typically, Executive Board Meetings happen in the evenings, outside of regular work hours and is therefore volunteer time. The president is responsible for preparing the agenda for board meetings and works closely with the administrative coordinator to ensure minutes are taken at meetings.