Voting began last month and will continue through Dec. 31 for the election of officers of the SIU’s Atlantic, Gulf, Lakes and Inland Waters District/NMU.Balloting is taking place at 21 SIU halls throughout the country. Full-book SIU members in good standing are eligible to vote in the election, which will determine union officers for the 2005-2008 term. This, of course, includes eligible members who were in the NMU when that union merged into the AGLIWD in 2001.
The ballot also includes two proposed constitutional amendments.
Seafarers may obtain their ballots from 9 a.m. until noon, Mondays through Saturdays, except legal holidays, until Dec. 31.
The ballot includes the list of candidates seeking the posts of president, executive vice president, secretary-treasurer, eight vice presidents, six assistant vice presidents and 10 port agents (for a total of 27 positions) along with the two proposed constitutional amendments.
At the union halls, a member in good standing (upon presenting his or her book) is given a ballot and two envelopes. After his or her selection is marked, the ballot is folded and placed inside an envelope marked “ballot.” That envelope then is sealed inside a postage-paid envelope bearing the mailing address of the bank depository where ballots are kept until submitted to the union tallying committee.
The rank-and-file tallying committee, consisting of two members from each of the union’s constitutional ports, will be elected in December. They will convene in early January to tabulate ballots and announce the election results.
Article XIII of the union’s constitution spells out the procedures by which an election will be conducted. The entire text of Article XIII, along with a sample ballot, a list of voting locations, the constitutional committee’s report and other related information appears on pages 6-11 of the October 2004 issue of the Seafarers LOG.
Additionally, a notice of the election was mailed in October to all members at their last known address, with a list of all voting locations as well as a sample of the official ballot.
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