As part of the ethics reforms ushered in by UAW President Rory L. Gamble and the International Executive Board (IEB), the UAW has formed a new Member Advisory Committee on Ethics. This newly established committee that President Gamble announced earlier this year is part of the continuing reforms announced and implemented by the IEB. The Committee will include participation by rank-and-file members of the UAW, UAW Ethics Officer Wilma Liebman and UAW Public Review Board Co-Chairs Professor Jim Brudney and Professor Janice Bellace. The UAW invites members interested in serving to read the full announcement below and direct their communications to UAW Ethics Officer Wilma Liebman at: [email protected].
Scope of the Committee:
The Committee would be responsible for:
1. Reviewing the Union’s existing internal rules and policies on ethical practices and financial matters – including the Ethical Practices Code, Administrative Letters and other guidance – and how those rules and policies are understood by the Union’s Officers and employees.
2. Drawing upon Committee members’ individual experience and expertise to develop any recommendations to the IEB for improving existing ethics guidelines, practices (both financial and ethical), policies, enforcement standards and education of these standards.
3. Reviewing the operation and function of the Ethics Ombudsman and Ethics Officer positions to determine whether adjustments might improve their effectiveness and/or promote transparency.
4. The Committee will provide a mechanism for two-way communication and dialogue between the Committee union members and the Ethics Officer, to enhance understanding, acceptance and operations of and Ethics Program. The Committee will not have authority to supervise or direct the Ethics Ombudsman or Ethics Officer, but will have the ability to make recommendations about the operation of the Ethics Program to the Ethics Officer, who will give full consideration to those recommendations but will not be bound to accept them.
Size and Composition of the Committee:
An 11-member Committee, made up as follows:
- One (1) permanent Committee member and one (1) alternative Committee member from each UAW Region.
- UAW Ethics Officer.
- UAW Public Review Board Co-Chairs.
Duration of the Committee:
The Members Advisory Committee would convene and perform its functions until the next UAW Constitutional Convention (June 2022). At that point, report(s) will be made to the Constitutional Convention delegates and determinations will be made by the Convention delegates as to whether the Committee should continue, either for a fixed period of time beyond 2022 or indefinitely.
Selection of Committee Members:
- The only criteria or prerequisite to being selected to serve on the Member Advisory Committee is that the applicant: (a) be a current UAW member and (b) have some experience serving UAW membership (e.g., current or former Constitutional Convention delegate; current or former elected Local Union leader; current or former member of a Local Union standing committee).
- Interested UAW members who meet the eligibility requirements above would submit their expression(s) of interest to the UAW Ethics Officer at [email protected] by January 31, 2021.
- The UAW Ethics Officer will verify – with International Union resources – eligibility of applicants to serve. That is, verify current UAW member status and verify current/prior experience serving UAW membership through local union service.
- By February 20, 2021 the UAW Ethics Officer shall randomly select, in a blind draw from the pool of eligible applicants, one (1) permanent and one (1) alternate Committee member from each of the eight (8) UAW Regions. There will be eight (8) total pools, one for each UAW Region.
For more information on the UAW’s Ethics Program, please visit https://uaw.org/ethics/.
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