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Memorandum

Date:

June 19, 2016

To:

Janice Bellace, President, Labor & Employment Relations Association (LERA)

From:

David Lewin, Chair, LERA Strategic Thinking Committee

Subject:

Summary of Changes to LERA Bylaws Proposed by the LERA Executive Board and Approved at General Membership Meeting, May 28, 2016 in Minneapolis


During 2015-2016, a LERA Strategic Thinking Committee reviewed and discussed the LERA bylaws. For the most part, these bylaws are the same as those originally formulated and adopted in 1947 by the founders of the Industrial Relations Research Association (IRRA), which was the original name of the LERA. The name change occurred in 1999, and the bylaws were amended to reflect the change. Other developments that have occurred during the 21st century, especially 1) the decision reached in 2012 whereby the LERA separated from the Allied Social Science Association (ASSA) in order to hold its own independent annual meeting, and 2) the enhanced role of local chapters in the annual meetings that have occurred since then, that is, during 2013-2016, led the LERA leadership to consider whether the LERA bylaws should be changed. For this and some other related purposes, 2014-2015 LERA President Marty Malloy appointed a Strategic Thinking Committee that began its deliberations in February of 2015. This committee was comprised of: Co-Chairs Ralph Craviso (who resigned in January 2016) and David Lewin; Bonnie Castrey, Janice Bellace, Janice Fine, Marty Malloy, Owen Herrnstadt, Marlene Heyser, Alex Colvin, and Bill Canak.

The changes (i.e., amendments to the bylaws) proposed by this committee can be summarized in A-F below:

Changes to enhance communication, relationships, and reciprocity include:

A.    All members of the national LERA shall maintain membership in a local chapter, where a local chapter exists in their area. Chapter Members who are not regular members of the LERA will become Affiliates of LERA. The latter will occur when Chapters pay their members’ nominal dues to the national LERA, as set by the Executive Board, and the Chapters send their members’ identifying information, including address, affiliation and email addresses, to the LERA. In this way, all LERA members belong or will belong to the national organization and to a chapter. This initiative will, in particular, help to enhance the LERA brand. And, all Chapter Members, who are not national LERA Members will become Affiliates of LERA and will receive electronic communications from LERA but will not have voting privileges, hold office, serve on a committee, or receive mailed publications.

B.    Expansion of the LERA Executive Board to strengthen relationships and enhance reciprocity among Chapters, academic programs, and LERA. The LERA Executive Board will be expanded to include:

a.    Three (3) Regional Vice Presidents nominated by the Chapters in each Region—the East, Midwest and West—who are members of both a chapter and of the LERA and will be elected at-large by the LERA membership and have voting rights on the board. These Regional Vice Presidents will represent Labor, Management, and Neutrals/Government/Academics, respectively, on a rotating basis so the balance of perspective on the board is maintained.

b.    An additional Board Member will be added so that each year four Board Members are elected, instead of four, four and three. In practice, this seat will be designated for colleges and universities other than the major ILR units.

c.    Further, the Chair of the National Chapter Advisory Committee (NCAC) and the Chair of the University Council on Industrial Relations and Human Resource Programs (UCIRHRP) will become be non-voting members of the LERA Executive Board.

Other changes to update association practices include:

C.    A new membership category of Apprentice was approved so that apprentices from the trades can join at a lower dues rate during their respective apprenticeships. This is similar to LERA’s current Membership category for Students.

D.    Executive Board members and Regional Vice Presidents who wish to run for a second term may do so and, if elected, may serve two terms of office. Heretofore, Executive Board members were limited to one term of office. The proposed change will enable the Association to benefit from the experience and knowledge of Executive Board members and Regional Vice Presidents.

E.    The LERA President-Elect will serve as Chair of the Program Committee. This will enable/free up the President to focus primarily on LERA’s membership, relationships with chapters, fund raising and development, and other key matters. Heretofore, the President has also been Chair of the Program Committee.

F.    The LERA may (with limited exceptions) send communications, including ballots, to members electronically. This is more efficient and cost effective than sending such communications via regular mail.


The Strategic Thinking Committee proposed these changes in the LERA bylaws to the Executive Board during a meeting held on May 28, 2016 in Minneapolis. The Board then voted in favor of recommending the changes to the LERA membership. The changes and the Board’s affirmative recommendation were then presented to LERA members who attended the membership meeting, also held on May 28, 2016 in Minneapolis. Near the conclusion of that meeting, members present voted “42 yes, 3 no” in favor of approving the motion to adopt the bylaws revisions.

Finally, it is especially important to note that 2016-2017 LERA President Janice Bellace will appoint a LERA Implementation Committee that will focus on interpreting the revised bylaws in order to enact the new, enhanced relationship between the National Organization and Local Chapters.

Printable Downloads:

Download/print this Memorandum above.

Download/print the Bylaws Revisions document.