As CALPELRA transitions to a self-sustaining tax exempt organization, it is necessary to make sure that “the t’s are crossed and the i’s are dotted.” The Board of Directors and the Executive Director, working with independent legal counsel (Adler & Colvin), determined that many of CALPELRA's previous governing bylaws were invalid because they were never voted on at a meeting at which an established quorum was present. To rectify that situation, the current Board sent a ballot to everyone who was a voting member on September 1, 2009, allowing them the opportunity to vote for, or against, revised bylaws.

By a vote of 212 to 40, active CALPELRA members as of the close of business on September 1, 2009, approved the 2009 Articles of Incorporation and Bylaws Amendment and Restatement. Here is the official vote tally.

The 2009 bylaws create a reasonable number of “voting members” so that a workable quorum can be established and CALPELRA, as an organization, can take legally binding actions. Under the 2009 bylaws the Board of Directors and members of the Program Committee are the designated voting members, as they represent a good cross-section of the organization and are very involved in the organization. And the 2009 bylaws essentially memorialize the long-standing practice that, primarily, the Board and Program Committee have been the voters who attended the Friday morning meeting each year at the Conference.

While CALPELRA has defined “voting” members in a way that permits CALPELRA to take action in a timely manner, we understand that all members cast their votes regularly by using precious and limited training dollars to attend a Labor Relations Academy or the Annual Conference. You vote when you use the CALPELRA Web site or read CALPELRAClips! Member participation and constant feedback is the critical voice that keeps CALPELRA a vibrant and effective professional training organization. And all individual members, voting or non-voting, will continue to have the opportunity to become Program Committee members and members of the Board of Directors.

We hope that all members will become more informed by reading the “Frequently Asked Questions," 2009 bylaws, and related historical documents posted here.