12.08.15 – (LAA/LUS) – APFA National Elections – Ballots to be Mailed December 10 – No Changing of Votes

---

APFA LAA Members	Subscribe to the APFA Hotline
APFA LUS Members	Subscribe to the APFA Hotline
Non-Members	Subscribe to the APFA Hotline
Press	Subscribe to APFA’s Press Release

---

 

Tuesday, December 8, 2015

 

APFA National Elections Balloting – LAA/LUS

Recently, the Department of Labor (DOL) and the Allied Pilots Association (APA) reached a potentially landmark settlement which has led APFA to modify its balloting procedures. For more information on the changes, click here. Below is a helpful guide for members ahead of the coming National Officer election:

New Access Code

Each APFA member will be mailed a new “access code.” The activation code and PIN you may have received in a past election no longer are valid.  A new access code will be issued every time there is an election.

No Changing of Votes

Make sure you have all of the information you need before you vote. Double-check the names of the candidates you have chosen to ensure no mistakes are made on your ballot. ONCE YOU CAST YOUR BALLOT, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CHANGE YOUR VOTE. 

Duplicate Ballots

If you do not receive the ballot packet that APFA mailed to you, or if you received the packet but have misplaced your access code, please contact the National Ballot Committee (NBC) at [email protected] or (817) 540-0108 ext. 8311. Please be aware that if the electronic balloting system shows that your access code was already used to cast a vote, no duplicate will be issued.

Eligibility to Vote 

In order to be eligible to vote, you must be a member in good standing. If you are not yet an APFA member and would like to vote in the National Officer elections, you must join BY THIS THURSDAY, December 10, 2015, the day the ballots are mailed. To join APFA, click here.

In order to be eligible to vote, you must be in good standing – not more than sixty (60) days in dues arrears. You must be in good standing no later than the fifth (5th) day before the close of the balloting period: BY January 4, 2016.  

As in the past, the NBC will mail ballot packets, now including access codes, to all APFA members. The balloting system will not allow members in bad standing to log in. Instead, a message will appear (or in a recording if you are voting by telephone) instructing you to contact the Election Administrator/NBC. You can reach the NBC at [email protected] or (817) 540-0108 ext. 8311.   

If you are ineligible because you are in dues arrears, you can become a member in good standing by contacting the APFA Dues Department at [email protected] or (817) 540-0108 ext. 8151. You can pay over the telephone by credit card, send in a check or pay in person at APFA Headquarters. A check must be received by APFA no later than January 4, 2016, the fifth (5th) day before the close of the balloting period. If you are unsure of your dues status, contact the Dues Department as soon as possible in order to become voting-eligible before the deadline!

Challenges to Eligibility

The Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LRMDA) – the federal law that governs Union Officer elections – requires Unions to give candidates or their designated observers an opportunity to challenge a member’s eligibility to vote. This will apply when the NBC changes your membership status from bad standing to good standing. Therefore, members who catch up on their dues may not be able to cast a ballot immediately. 

Upon request, the NBC will notify a slate of candidates, and a candidate who is not running on a slate, that you are now eligible to vote. The candidate or observer will have 48 hours to challenge your eligibility. If no challenge is brought forward, the NBC will upload an updated eligibility list to the electronic balloting system and you will be able to access the system and cast a ballot.

If a candidate or observer notifies the NBC by email that he or she is challenging your new eligibility, the NBC will notify you and then promptly review the matter. If it sustains the challenge, the NBC will notify you that you still are ineligible to vote and will give you the reason. If the NBC confirms your eligibility, you will be added to the eligibility list and the NBC will notify you that you can now cast your ballot.

Cindy Horan 
APFA National Ballot Committee Chair
[email protected]