ARTICLE 35
Amalgamated Local Unions
Section 1. Any two (2) or more units which are not a part of an Amalgamated Local Union may petition the International Executive Board for the formation of an Amalgamated Local Union. Such petitions must be approved by the membership of the units desiring an Amalgamated Local Union in a specially called membership meeting for that purpose. Upon receipt of such petitions the International Executive Board shall investigate the feasibility of an Amalgamated Local Union and if their decision is that an Amalgamated Local Union be set up, the Regional Director shall without delay set up an Amalgamated Local Union comprising the units as determined by the International Executive Board.
Section 2. Any two (2) or more units of an Amalgamated Local Union may petition the International Executive Board to set up a Joint Council in their Local Union. The International Executive Board shall without undue delay investigate the practicality of a Joint Council for that Local Union and if they determine that a Joint Council shall be set up, the Local Union shall without delay set up a Joint Council based on the principles in Section 3 of this Article. Members of such a Joint Council, whether directly elected thereto or holding membership thereon by virtue of being elected to some other office or position, shall be elected by secret ballot with the same notice procedures as set forth in Section 2 of Article 38.
Section 3. The membership of the Local Union shall be guaranteed:
(a) Proportional representation from each unit, based on the dues dollar each unit pays to the Local Union. In no case shall any unit be entitled to less than two (2) representatives to the Joint Council.
(b) The right to appeal from any decision of the Joint Council by referendum vote of the membership.
(c) That each unit will have unit autonomy on matters pertaining strictly to that unit.
(d) That a percentage of every dues dollar which a unit pays to the Local Union may be set aside as a fund for the use of that unit for whatever purpose they so desire.
Section 4. Additional organized units may be added to Amalgamated Local Unions only upon approval of the International Executive Board and subject to the majority vote of the membership of the unit and the Joint Council or membership of the Amalgamated Local Union. Unorganized units may be added to an Amalgamated Local Union upon the approval of the Regional Director.