In the coming weeks, and continuing into the middle to July, various committees comprised of delegates previously elected to the 2016 NPMHU National Convention have been and will be meeting at NPMHU Headquarters in Washington, DC. These committees have been meeting to certify and issue credentials for all of the delegates attending the Convention, to adopt rules and procedures for the selection of this year’s Election Committee, and to issue recommendations on constitutional amendments, legislative and political activities, and resolutions that will be debated and adopted during the upcoming Convention. As previously reported, this year’s NPMHU Convention is scheduled to take place in Chicago, Illinois during the week of August 22.

Already, in May 2016, members of the Credentials Committee met to review all delegate election protests, and to certify the official list of delegates and to issue official credentials to all of those delegates. In addition, the Credentials Committee has ongoing responsibilities for monitoring and adopting changes in the certified delegates, so members of that Committee will remain in constant communication during the several weeks and months prior to meeting again in Chicago.

The Convention Election Committee will be the next committee to hold its initial meetings, with the goal of implementing procedures and drafting rules necessary to conduct the first phase of the elections that will be held at this year’s Convention. This committee also has ongoing tasks to perform during the weeks leading up to the Convention, so its members will have to reconvene in Chicago prior to the actual
Convention on August 22.

Meanwhile, the Constitution Committee is scheduled to meet during the last week of June. That committee will review what are expected to be hundreds of proposals that are timely submitted from an array of members, shop stewards, officers, and Local Unions. Each and every one of these proposals will be fully analyzed and debated by the members of the Committee, whose recommendations then will be finalized for presentation, further debate, and potential adoption by the delegates attending the Convention. With limited exceptions, the Convention held every four years is the only time that amendments to the NPMHU National Constitution and the Uniform Local Union Constitution may be proposed, or could be made, so the adoption of amendments at the Convention is an important part of the NPMHU’s governance.

Finally, the first two weeks in July will see meetings of both the Legislative & Political Committee and the Resolutions Committee. Once again, each and every proposal submitted from around the country will be reviewed and analyzed for possible recommendation to the delegates attending this year’s Convention. With many important legislative and political issues on the national agenda this year, and with the U.S. Presidential and Congressional elections set for November 8, 2016, the debate at the Convention is likely to be both lively and informative.

Final written reports from each of these committees will be distributed, upon registration, to the delegates attending the NPMHU Convention in Chicago. As noted, the opening day of the Convention is set for August 22, 2016, and the closing date is set for August 27, so this year’s Convention is certain to become another important component of NPMHU history.

Please remember: if you want to submit possible amendments to the NPMHU constitutions or resolutions worthy of adoption by the delegates at this year’s Convention, please be certain to submit your proposals, in writing, on or before the deadline of June 23, 2016.