Article VI - The International Secretary-Treasurer

Section 1. The International Secretary-Treasurer shall be the chief financial and recording officer of the Federation. The International Secretary- Treasurer shall receive and receipt for all monies of the Federation. The International Secretary- Treasurer shall maintain properly and have custody over all documents of the Federation and all other documents and papers pertaining to the Secretary- Treasurer’s office and conduct correspondence necessary in the administration thereof. The International Secretary-Treasurer shall, in the name of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, deposit in open account in a bank or banks in which deposits are guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation all funds of the Federation not in certificates of deposit or invested in interest-bearing securities, and money so deposited shall be withdrawn only by check or electronic fund transfer. The International Secretary-Treasurer shall be responsible for supervising and directing the activities of the Secretary-Treasurer’s office in accordance with the provisions of this Constitution and under the policies established by the International Executive Board. The International Secretary-Treasurer shall, in conjunction with the International President, prepare an annual budget and arrange for the employment of such personnel as may be required to carry out the functions of the Secretary-Treasurer’s office. The International Secretary-Treasurer shall prepare checks or electronic fund transfers for the payment of all liabilities of the Federation which have been approved in writing by the International President and which are for purposes authorized or required by this Constitution or authorized by the convention or the International Executive Board, and none other. The International Secretary- Treasurer shall countersign all checks or electronic fund transfers so prepared. The International Secretary-Treasurer may, with the approval of the International Executive Board, designate a deputy or deputies to sign instead. The International Secretary-Treasurer and any authorized deputy or deputies shall be covered by surety bonds in amounts to be determined by the International Executive Board and at the expense of the Federation. The minimum bond shall be not less than 10 percent of the assets handled by the Federation annually, except that no bond shall be required in an amount greater than $500,000.

Section 2. The International Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected at the 1972 regular biennial convention and at every second regular biennial convention thereafter. The International Secretary-Treasurer shall receive a minimum annual salary of $32,500 and shall receive expenses in accordance with policies established by the International Executive Board.

Section 3. The International Secretary-Treasurer shall serve as Secretary at all conventions, and in such capacity shall:

Issue a convention call, in the name of the International Executive Board, not less than seventy-five days prior to the opening of any convention. Such call shall state the time, date and place of the Convention and, in the case of a special convention, the purpose or purposes. The Secretary-Treasurer shall send a copy of the call to all subordinate bodies, together with the appropriate number of blank credential forms. The Secretary-Treasurer shall read the call to the delegates at the opening session of the Convention.
Receive in advance of the Convention all credentials. Such credentials shall be stamped as to the date of receipt, attached to the envelope in which they were received, and submitted to the Credentials Committee.
Make available to the Credentials Committee a report on the month-by-month per capita tax payments of each local union for the twelve consecutive months ending with the fourth full month preceding the opening of a regular or special convention.
Receive in advance of the Convention all proposed resolutions, including proposals to amend the Constitution. The Secretary-Treasurer shall make copies of all such resolutions available to the delegates and shall properly identify those who submitted the resolutions; except that no resolution received after the twentieth day prior to the opening of the Convention, unless postmarked on or before the twentieth day prior to the opening of the Convention, shall be considered introduced unless consent is given by a two-thirds vote of the Convention or unless it is introduced by the International President or the International Executive Board. The International Secretary-Treasurer shall distribute to all members of the International Executive Board copies of any proposals to amend the Constitution as quickly as possible after receiving any such proposals.
Maintain an accurate record of the Convention proceedings and distribute copies of such record to all convention delegates and to all subordinate bodies as soon as practicable after the Convention.

Section 4. The International Secretary-Treasurer shall, at each convention, present a written report to the delegates, in printed or electronic format, provided that printed copies shall be provided to any delegate who requests it, concerning the Secretary-Treasurer’s activities during the period since the preceding convention, which report shall include a financial report for any fiscal year or years which have ended during such period. The fiscal year shall begin on January 1st and end on the last day of December.

Section 5. The International Secretary-Treasurer shall serve as Secretary of the International Executive Board, and shall keep accurately the minutes of each meeting of the International Executive Board. Copies of the minutes shall be submitted to each member of the International Executive Board as soon as practicable after each meeting. The minutes, in summary form, shall be sent to each local union, unless, in the opinion of the International Secretary-Treasurer, the proceedings of the meeting have been adequately reported in the official publication of the Federation.

Section 6. The International Secretary-Treasurer shall serve as Secretary of the Executive Committee and of the Finance Committee, and shall submit copies of the minutes of all meetings of both committees to each member of the International Executive Board within one week of adjournment of such meetings.

Section 7. The International Secretary-Treasurer shall receive from the International President a copy of the proposed annual budget at least one week in advance of its submission to the International Executive Board. The International Secretary-Treasurer shall submit to the International Executive Board, in writing, any criticisms, objections or comments on the budget deemed necessary or proper at the time it is submitted to the International Executive Board. The International Secretary-Treasurer shall promptly report to the International Executive Board any major deviation from the approved budget.

Section 8. The International Secretary-Treasurer shall prepare (1) a monthly financial report, which shall be submitted to each member of the International Executive Board, and (2) a quarterly financial report, which shall be submitted to each member of the International Executive Board and to each subordinate body.

Section 9. The International Secretary-Treasurer shall make available for inspection at International Headquarters at all reasonable times, to any International officer or to the duly authorized representative of the International President or of any subordinate body, all books and records, including minutes of any meeting of the International Executive Board, which are in the Secretary-Treasurer’s custody. All financial records of the International Union shall be retained, in their original form, for a minimum of six years from the date of such records.

Section 10. All accounts of the Federation shall be audited immediately following the close of each fiscal year, or, at the direction of the International President, the International Secretary-Treasurer, or the International Executive Board, at more frequent intervals, by a Certified Public Accountant, who shall be appointed by the International Secretary-Treasurer with the approval of the International Executive Board. The audit report shall be transmitted to the International President, the International Secretary-Treasurer, and each International Vice President, and to each subordinate body as promptly as possible after completion of the audit.

Section 11. The International Secretary-Treasurer shall be a delegate to all conventions of the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations.

Section 12. The International Secretary-Treasurer is authorized, with the approval of the International Executive Board, to improve the bookkeeping system of the Federation and to prescribe minimum standards for the maintenance of financial records for subordinate bodies, including financial records concerning any health and welfare, pension, insurance or other benefit programs covering members of such subordinate bodies. Whenever any such minimum standards have been adopted and approved, subordinate bodies shall be obliged to meet such standards. The International Secretary-Treasurer shall require an annual report from each subordinate body, on forms to be supplied by the International Secretary-Treasurer’s office. Such report shall be in sufficient detail as to indicate whether or not the prescribed minimum standards are being met. Each council and each local union with 2,000 or more members shall adopt an annual budget in advance of its fiscal year, which shall set forth the anticipated income and the sources thereof and the anticipated expenditures and their purposes. Each council and each local union with 2,000 or more members shall be required to submit a copy of its budget to the International Secretary-Treasurer within ten days after its adoption and to promptly notify the International Secretary-Treasurer of any major modifications in, or deviations from, the budget as originally submitted. Each council and each local union with 2,000 or more members shall be required to prepare quarterly financial statements which shall include a balance sheet and an operating statement, a copy of which shall be submitted to the International Secretary-Treasurer. The International Secretary-Treasurer is authorized, with the approval of the International Executive Board, to prescribe minimum standards for the form and content of such quarterly financial statements, and each council and each local union with 2,000 or more members shall be obligated to meet such standards.

The provisions of Article IX, Section 30 of this Constitution establish the parameters of AFSCME’s Affiliate Audit and Review Program. The documentation required above shall not be eliminated or replaced by documentation submitted in conjunction with the annual Affiliate Audit and Review visit.

Section 13. The International Secretary-Treasurer shall have the power, either in person or by designee, to examine and audit the books and accounts of subordinate bodies, including any books and accounts concerning health and welfare, pension, insurance or other benefit programs covering members of such subordinate bodies at any time. Immediately upon the initiation of any such examination and audit, the International Secretary-Treasurer shall notify the International President that such action has been taken. The results of any such examination and audit, and any written report, shall be transmitted to the International President as promptly as possible.

Section 14. The International Secretary-Treasurer shall be responsible for maintaining current files on all claims which have been filed with regard to any officer or employee of the Federation or any subordinate body under the Union’s surety bond coverage. Whenever the International Secretary-Treasurer receives notice that surety bond claim has been paid with regard to any individual for acts or omissions committed while such person was an officer or employee of the Federation or any subordinate body, the International Secretary-Treasurer shall immediately refer the matter to the Judicial Panel for proceedings to be held in accordance with the provisions of Articles X and XI of this Constitution. In any such proceeding, the International Secretary-Treasurer shall make available to the Judicial Panel all relevant documents and information in the possession of the International Union.

Section 15. If a vacancy occurs in the office of International President, the International Secretary- Treasurer shall assume the duties and responsibilities of the International President until such time as the vacancy in office is filled as provided in this Constitution.

Section 16. The International Secretary-Treasurer shall perform such other duties as may be requested by the International President or required by the International Executive Board or by this Constitution.