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Council Information

The SPEEA bodies which define union policy are the SPEEA Council, Northwest Council and Midwest Council. The SPEEA Council acts on behalf of the entire membership (all bargaining units). The Northwest (NW) Regional Council forms policy for bargaining units at The Boeing Company and Triumph Composite Systems. The Midwest (MW) Regional Council is the policy-determining body for the bargaining units at Spirit AeroSystems.

The Councils consist of member-elected delegates or Council Representatives (Council Rep, “CR”) and delegate-elected Council Officers who serve two-year terms. Elections are held every two years in May unless a vacancy occurs. Prior to elections,the SPEEA Tellers define geographical Council districts for every 100-200 members to produce a delineation. The delineation determines the number of CR positions for each district.

The SPEEA Council meetings are held on the second Thursday of every January, March, *June and October. (*The June meeting takes place on a Friday as kick-off to the annual Council Convention and Leadership Conference.) The Northwest and Midwest Council meetings are held the second Thursday of February, April, May, July, August, September, November and December.

Council Officers

The SPEEA and Regional (Northwest/Midwest) Council Officers (chair, treasurer, and secretary) are Council delegates nominated and elected by fellow delegates. Elections are held at the SPEEA and Regional Council meetings following the Council Representative elections.

The chair is the presiding officer of the Council meetings. The treasurer is responsible for the Council funds and is accountable to the SPEEA Executive Board treasurer. The secretary is the recording officer and record custodian. The Council Officers meet each month, prior to every Council meeting to discuss any motions or business and decide on the final agenda.

Council Representatives

SPEEA Council Reps (similar to shop stewards) are member-elected delegates who work to form union policy and act as union representatives in the workplace. CRs are a vital link between the employees they represent and the employer. They have a number of responsibilities but most important is to ensure that every SPEEA-represented employee receives union representation whenever necessary.

The Council Representative's role is comprised of eight key responsibilities:

• Contract monitoring and enforcement
• Discipline and performance issues
• Grievance handling/Investigations/Interviews
• Act as Council delegate to formulate policy for SPEEA
• Participation in partnership forums
• Keeping members informed
• Membership support
• Recruitment

Every odd year, or as vacancies occur, members who wish to serve as their district Council Rep submit a petition and statement to SPEEA. The SPEEA Tellers validate each petition and statement for compliance. An election is conducted if more than one valid petition is submitted for the same Council seat. To serve as a Council Rep, a member must be in continuous good standing for the preceding twelve month period.

Following elections, new Council Reps participate in Basic Training to prepare them for their role. Each year, all CRs receive refresher training at the Leadership Conference and make-up trainings periodically offered at the SPEEA halls.

Area Representatives

Area Representatives (Area Reps, ARs) are key players within the SPEEA network. Like Council Reps, an Area Rep is a member leader who chose to take an active role with SPEEA. They serve the same two-year term, but volunteer for their role instead of an election process. There is no limit to the number of Area Reps in each district – the more the better!

Area Reps provide support to Council Representatives by:

• Assisting with communications within the district – emails, fliers/publications, and monitoring bulletin boards.
• Assisting with holding meetings in the workplace.
• Welcoming new members and encouraging them to get involved with SPEEA.
• Connecting members with their Council Rep.
• Assisting Council Rep with contract enforcement.
• Learning about SPEEA’s governing structure and history to help educate members.

 

SPEEA and Regional Committees

Council committees perform the preliminary work for consideration of the respective Councils. There are standing committees and special committees appointed for a limited time. The committees consist of SPEEA members and the elected officers. SPEEA committees reform and elect new officers following the Council meeting each May. The Northwest and Midwest committees reform and elect new officers following the Council meeting each May of odd years.