SECTION 1. This Article contains the core provisions of this Constitution as they relate to TNG Canada.

SECTION 2. (a) TNG Canada is an autonomous body within TNG-CWA having constitutional jurisdiction within Canada over its constituent Locals.

(b) TNG Canada shall be comprised of all former TNG Local Unions in Canada and former Local Unions of CWA and any other Local Unions in Canada that become part of TNG Canada.

(c) The affairs of TNG Canada shall be governed by the Merger Agreement between the Guild and CWA, CWA Constitution, this Constitution, and the by-laws of TNG Canada.

SECTION 3. (a) The Director of TNG Canada shall be a TNG Sector Officer and shall be elected from all of Canada. All TNG Sector Officers from TNG Canada shall be elected in accordance with Article IX, Section 2(b).

(b) The Director of TNG Canada shall be the chief spokesperson for the Guild and CWA in Canada. The Director of TNG Canada shall take direction from the Canadian Representative Council and shall be its Chairperson.

(c) TNG Canada shall currently have two additional Sector Officers who shall be Vice-Presidents from that portion of Canada east of Manitoba and from that portion west of Ontario, respectively. Candidates for Vice-President shall not seek election or hold office in a geographic region in which they do not work.

(d) Nominations for Director of TNG Canada and Canadian Regional Vice-Presidents shall be made by Sector Conference vote.

(e) If more than two candidates are nominated to the office of Director of TNG Canada or either Regional Vice-Presidency, the Sector Conference shall ballot by a roll-call vote; the candidate receiving the least number of votes in the first ballot shall be eliminated and such balloting shall continue until only two names remain; these two shall then be declared the nominees of the Sector Conference. Only the delegates in the two electoral areas into which Canada is divided shall ballot upon the nominations for their respective Regional Vice-Presidents and for Director of TNG Canada; provided that for purposes of this Section all delegates of the Canadian Media Guild shall be deemed delegates of the electoral area of Canada in which their workplaces are located.

(f) Separate ballot forms shall be printed for each region in Canada containing the names of all candidates for Vice-President and for Director of TNG Canada. The election of Vice-Presidents and Director of TNG Canada shall be by ballot of the members in the regions they represent. All members of the Canadian Media Guild shall vote in the electoral area of Canada in which their workplaces are located.

SECTION 4. (a) Within five days after a vacancy occurs in any elective Sector office, the E.C. shall notify the Locals concerned.

(b) For any vacancy that occurs no less than six months prior to the next regularly scheduled Sector Conference (except for a vacancy in the three principal offices), the EC shall include in the local notice a call for nominations. Each local so notified shall be responsible for communicating the call for nominations to its membership.

(1) Any member in good standing may nominate a candidate for such interim vacancy by submitting the nomination in writing to the Secretary Treasurer of TNG-CWA. (Only members of Canadian locals may nominate candidates for a vacancy in the office of Director of TNG Canada; only members of locals located within a concerned Region may nominate candidates for a vacancy in the office of a Regional Vice President.) Nominations, as well as the nominees’ written declarations of their willingness to serve, must be received by the Secretary-Treasurer no later than 15 days following the EC call for nominations. The Secretary-Treasurer shall immediately notify locals of the nominees.

(2) If there is only one nominee for a vacancy, such nominee shall be declared the temporary successor.

(3) The temporary successor shall be the candidate receiving the majority of votes cast by the governing bodies of the concerned Locals, based on the voting strength to which each Local was entitled at the last Sector Conference. Votes of each concerned Local shall be counted in proportion to the number of votes cast for each candidate by each member of the governing body of the Local. Within 30 days of the call for nominations each concerned Local must certify the local vote results to the Secretary-Treasurer in writing, signed by two Local officers. The Secretary-Treasurer shall tabulate the results and notify the affected locals within 35 days of the EC call for nominations.

(4) If no candidate receives a majority of the votes cast, the Local vote conducted in accordance with paragraph (3) shall be considered a runoff vote and the two candidates receiving the highest number of votes shall be declared the final candidates. Local governing bodies shall then conduct a vote between the two final candidates based on the voting strength to which each Local was entitled at the last Sector Conference, and votes shall be counted in proportion to the number of votes cast for each candidate by each member of the governing body of the Local. Locals shall certify the local runoff vote results to the SERC in writing, signed by two Local officers, within 50 days of the call for nominations.

(5) Any temporary successor officer shall take office upon certification of the SERC and shall serve until a successor officer is certified by the SERC in accordance with the nomination and referendum procedures outlined in Section (d) below.

(c) In the event of a vacancy in any of the three principal offices, there shall be a temporary succession pending the election of a new officer. The Sector Chairperson shall thus be succeeded by the President, the President by the Secretary-Treasurer and the Secretary-Treasurer by the President, the temporary successor retaining also the duties of his or her own office. In the event of a vacancy in the office of Director of TNG Canada, there shall be a temporary succession pending the election of a new officer. The Director of TNG Canada shall thus be succeeded by the Deputy Director of TNG Canada who shall have voice but not vote on the E.C.

In the event of a contingency not met by these procedures, the E.C. shall take necessary action to provide for administration of TNG-CWA.

In the event of a vacancy in any elective Sector office, successor candidates shall be nominated at the next regularly scheduled Sector Conference and an election shall be held by referendum in accordance with this Article. The successor officer shall take office upon certification by the SERC and shall serve the remainder of the term of his or her predecessor.

SECTION 5. (a) Strikes and lockouts in Canada must have the effective recommendation of the Director of TNG Canada in accordance with Article XX of this Constitution.

(b) Joint strike votes of Units may be called for by the governing body of the Local or by the Units. Where Units in the employ of a single employer but situated in different Locals vote to strike, the strike may be called upon the effective recommendation of the Director of TNG Canada by the E.C. subject to the approval of the CWA Executive Board.

(c) If the governing body of a Local fails to call a strike after approval has been voted in accordance with Article XX Section 2 above, the E.C. may, upon the effective recommendation of the Director of TNG Canada, and at the request of the Unit or Units involved, call a strike subject to the approval of the CWA Executive Board. In such event it shall name the committee in charge of the strike.

(d) Upon the effective recommendation of the Director of TNG Canada, the E.C. shall have authority to designate a representative in a Local strike or lockout who shall assist and advise the Local bodies governing the strike or lockout and enforce TNG-CWA policy with respect to the disbursement of TNG-CWA Mobilization and Defense Fund monies.

(e) The E.C., which has the authority to deny or terminate TNG-CWA benefits to striking or locked out Canadian Locals, shall consult with the Director of TNG Canada before making a decision.

SECTION 6. (a) TNG Canada shall supply membership cards to Canadian Locals.

(b) The following resignation rules shall apply in Canadian Locals only: Any offer to withdraw or to resign from membership in the Guild other than for the reasons set forth in Section 14 of Article XIII shall be submitted in writing to the governing board of the Local, together with the reasons, in detail, for such contemplated withdrawal or resignation. The governing board of the Local shall thereupon inquire into the causes and vote on whether such withdrawal or resignation shall be accepted or rejected. Any acceptance shall always be conditioned upon full payment of all financial obligations due and owing to the Guild. Upon the rejection of any offer to withdraw or resign, the membership obligations of the member making such offer shall continue in full force and effect. A member may appeal rejection of his or her resignation to the Local membership. A copy of the offer to withdraw or resign, together with the action taken by the Local thereon, shall be forwarded to the E.C. Such action shall not become final until approved by the E.C.

(c) No resignation or withdrawal may be accepted during a strike or lockout, or at a time when a strike or lockout appears imminent.