Tameside Teachers' Association is run by its members who determine policy at the termly General Meetings.

In between General Meetings decisions are taken by a Committee that meets monthly during term time (Carer's Allowances are paid where necessary to allow members to attend).

Tameside Teachers' Association:

• is a local branch of the National Union of Teachers (NUT);

• is the largest teacher's organisation in Tameside (Greater Manchester);

• represents its members and negotiates on their behalf with the Local Authority and School Bodies (as appropriate)

• has an office in Ashton

 

Officers & Committee Members

President: : Mark Smith - Mark is a teacher of Maths at Audenshaw High School

Vice President: Norman Jones - Norman is a retired primary school teacher

General Secretary: Anne Slater - Anne was previously a primary school teacher at Greenside Primary School in Droylsden and is now based in the office full time.

Treasurer:   Norman Jones                                     

Assistant Secretary Casework /Learning Representative: Pat Davies: Pat was an English teacher at Hartshead High School, Ashton under Lyne

Assistant Secretary and Membership Secretary: Caryl Hughes: Caryl is a Primary School Music teacher  who is currently  working on supply.

Equal Opportunities Officer: Derek Clarke - Derek was previously an Assistant Headteacher at Copley High School in Stalybridge

Health & Safety Officer: Derek Clarke

Young Teachers Representative: Currently Vacant

Retired Teachers Representative John Rubery: John was a High School teacher in Tameside before taking retirement.

Committee Members

Jack Norbury. New Charter

Umesh Patel. Flowery Fields Primary School

Pam Devine. Retired

Tameside Teachers Association (815)


Association Rules

1. Title

This Association shall be called Tameside Teachers Association.

2. Affiliation

This Association shall be an Association of the National Union of Teachers and the rules of the National Union of Teachers shall be binding on all members of this Association.

3. Objectives

The objectives of the Association shall be:

a.    To advance the cause of education.
b.    To influence by every legitimate means local public opinion on educational matters and especially seek the co-operation of the press in the locality.
c.    To afford opportunities for the discussion of educational and professional topics.
d.    To protect and promote the professional interests of teachers.
e.    To secure direct representation on behalf of all members of the Union in the Association on all appropriate Committees and bodies of the Local Authority and of any Academy or other employer in the Association area.
f.    To be responsible for negotiating on behalf of all members of the Union in the Association with the Local Authority and with any Academy or other employer in the Association area on all matters affecting the professional work and conditions of members.
g.    To be responsible for negotiating on behalf of all members of the Union in the Association with the Local Authority and with any Academy or other employer in the Association area those agreements necessitated as a result of, or caused by, an Act of Parliament or Statutory Instrument.
h.    To be solely responsible for negotiating on behalf of members of the Union in the Association with the Local Authority and with any Academy or other employer in the Association area such agreements initiated by or at the behest of the National Executive of the Union.
i.    To secure the membership of all teachers in the Association area.
j.    To promote the welfare of the charitable funds of the NUT.
k.    To promote friendly social intercourse among its members.

4. Membership

Any teacher eligible for admission under the general rules of the Union shall have a right to membership of this association.

5. Subscription

a.    The Annual Subscription of every member shall be such subscription as is payable to the National Union of Teachers under its rules for the time being and, in addition, a local subscription to be determined by the Annual General Meeting of the Association.
b.    Every member shall pay a further sum as the Association may require for the purpose of meeting any levy made by the Executive under the provision of rule 41 of the Union.
c.    A member leaving the education service but not retiring shall be entitled to Left Profession membership upon payment of an Annual Subscription as determined by the Annual Conference of the Union plus any Local Association fee and shall be entitled to those services and benefits not excluded within the rules of the Union.
d.    A member retiring from the profession shall be entitled to Retired Membership upon payment of an Annual Subscription as determined by the Annual Conference of the Union plus any Local Association fee and shall be entitled to those services and benefits not excluded within the rules of the Union.
e.    In accordance with Union rule 35 any teacher who is a member of the National Union of Teachers for the current year through another Association may become a member of this Association on payment of the Annual Local Subscription.
f.    All subscriptions shall be due and payable on 1st January each year.
g.    Life Membership may be conferred by the Association to any member in respect of merit of service to the Association.

6. Officers and Committee

a.    The management of the Association shall be vested in the Officers and Committee.
b.    The Officers of the Association shall be the
President                    Vice President
Ex President                    General Secretary
Assistant Secretary (Administration)    Assistant Secretary (Casework)
Treasurer                    Assistant Treasurer
Minuting Secretary            Health & Safety Adviser
PRO                        Equalities Officer
Membership Secretary                        Union Learning Representative

c.    The roles and responsibilities of the Officers shall be as defined in Appendix A of these rules.
d.    The Executive Officers of the Association shall be the President, Vice President, Ex President, General Secretary and Treasurer.
e.    The officers listed in rule 6b shall be declared elected at each AGM except as provided in rule 6f.
f.    The President and Vice President of one year shall be the ex-President and President respectively in the succeeding year.
g.    The Committee shall consist of the Officers as in Rule 6 (b) together with 15 members who shall be declared elected at the AGM and in addition:
i.    The Secretary of the local committee of the TSN.
ii.    A representative of each section formed under Rule 9.
iii.    Any member of the Association who may be a member of the executive of the Union.
iv.    All vacancies in the Officers or Committee occurring during the year shall be filled by the Committee until the next Annual General Meeting.

7. Election of Officers and Committee

a.    Nominations for the Officers listed in Rule 6 (b) (i), the elected Committee Members in Rule 6 (e) and Conference Delegates other than those attending ex officio under Rule 8 shall be made in writing, signed by the proposer and seconder and endorsed by the nominee and shall reach the Secretary not later than November 30th.
b.    No person shall be eligible for nomination for any of the aforesaid positions who has not been a member of the Union for at least one year or whose subscription is in arrears.
c.    Voting papers shall be issued to members not less than fourteen days before the date named for the close of poll which shall be seven days before the date of the Annual General Meeting. The vote shall be counted by the scrutineers appointed at the previous Annual General Meeting. The President for the time shall act as Returning Officer. Any election conducted as above shall not be invalidated by the failure of any member to receive or return a ballot paper.
d.    Any vacancy for which no nomination has been received before the closing date may be filled by election at the AGM or by the Committee under rule 6 g iv.

8. Election of Conference Delegates

The President, Secretary and Treasurer shall be entitled to attend Conference ex officio together with other delegates elected in accordance with the procedures in Rule 7. The total number of delegates shall be determined in accordance with Union Rule 27 (a).

9. Sections

The Committee shall have the power to form such sections as a General Meeting may deem desirable and the representative of that section on the Committee shall be determined by and from members of that section. Such sections are to be within the objectives of the Union and are answerable to the Committee of the Association.

10. Annual General Meeting

The Annual General Meeting of the Association shall normally be held in the last week of January.

11. Meetings

a.    At least three General Meetings shall be held during the year and such additional Meetings as the Committee shall deem desirable.
b.    An Extraordinary General Meeting shall be summoned at any time by the Secretary on the instruction of the Committee or within twenty one days of the receipt of a written requisition stating the purpose for which the meeting is summoned and signed by not less than twenty members. No business other than that stated by the Committee or in the requisition shall be transacted. Thirty members shall form the Quorum for such an Extraordinary General Meeting.
c.    The Quorum for all General Meetings and Special Meetings shall be ten and no business transacted at inquorate meetings shall become Association policy unless adopted by a subsequent quorate meeting.
d.    At least seven days before the date of any General Meeting information shall be sent by the Secretary to the Members of the Association stating the time and place of the meeting together with the Agenda of the business as it shall have been arranged by the Committee.
e.    All motions received by the Secretary at least fifteen days before a General Meeting shall be included in the Agenda but the Committee shall have the power to determine the order on the Agenda Paper excepting that business deferred from a previous meting shall take precedence over all other.

12. Order of Business; Annual General Meeting

The order of business at the Annual General Meeting shall be:

a.    Minutes of the last AGM
b.    Matters Arising
c.    Rule Changes (if any)
d.    Reports
e.    Treasurer's Report
f.    Auditor's Report
g.    Adoption of Financial Statement
h.    Installation of new President
i.    President's Address
j.    Vote of thanks to the President for the Address
k.    Declaration of election of Officers, Committee Members and Conference Delegates
l.    Election of Scrutineers
m.    Nominations for and election of Officers, Committee Members and Conference Delegates for which no nominations were made.
n.    Election of Auditors
o.    Election of representative to outside bodies.
p.    Committee Recommendations: Local Subscription, Honoraria, Grants and donations.
q.    Motions of which proper notice has been given to the Secretary.
r.    Discussion of matters declared urgent by the Meeting.

13. Alteration of the rules

No alteration of or addition to any rule shall be made except at the Annual General Meeting or at a Special Meeting convened for the purpose. Notice of any proposed alteration must be sent to the Secretary at least one month prior to the date of the AGM or Special Meeting.

14. Financial Year

The financial year shall end at 31st December and at that day or such other dates as shall be required by the Executive of the Union the Association shall prepare and submit to the General Secretary a statement of account of the Association in the form and manner required by the Executive in compliance with the Certification Officer for Trade Unions and Employers Associations.

15. Accounts

The accounts of the Association shall be audited on behalf of the members of the Association by two lay auditors who shall be appointed at the AGM and who shall not be Officers or Members of the Committee or by professional auditors appointed by the Association. The Auditors shall be required to carry out their duties in accordance with the requirements of the Auditors appointed by the Executive of the Union under Rule 48 (a).

16. Statement of Account

a.    The Statement of Account prepared and audited under Rules 17 & 18 shall be presented to the AGM of the Association. The Auditors shall be required to make a report to the AGM.
h.    All Bank, Building Society and/or other Accounts shall be in the name of the Association and withdrawal from any account shall require the signature of any two out of three members delegated by the Committee to do so, one of whom shall be the Treasurer.

17. School Representatives

The Association shall take such steps as may be necessary to establish that in each school or unattached unit in its area there is an accredited Union representative. In particular these steps shall include those set out in a. to f. below.

a.    The procedure for the election of the Union Representative shall be subject to the approval of the Committee of the Local Association.
b.    The Union Representative shall be elected annually by all members in the school.
c.    The Association shall bear responsibility for granting accreditation and shall issue accreditation documents stating the group of members.
d.    The Association may approve the election of one or more Deputy Union Representatives for a given school.
e.    The Association will notify the Local Education Authority and the relevant Headteacher of the names of its accredited Representatives and of their authority and responsibilities.
f.    The Association will advise its accredited representatives that their authority and responsibilities include
i.    The direct recruitment of members of staff.
ii.    The dissemination of both local and national information from the Union to members in the school.
iii.    Calling meetings of members in the school as and when required.
iv.    Handling the initial stages of individual grievances of members.
v.    Responsibility for consultation within and negotiations on those issues where the school has discretion regarding the implementation of agreements between the Association and the LEA on matters of collective interest to members in that school.
vi.    Responsibility for ensuring that all agreements between the Union and the employers both local and national to which the Union is a party are observed within the school.

18. Interpretation of Rules

In the event of any question arising as to the interpretation of any of the Association rules the question shall be referred to the Committee whose decision shall be conclusive and binding on members.
 
Schedule

a.    (2) The section affirming affiliation to the Greater Manchester Association has been deleted as the GMA no longer exists. This appears to be a provision left unamended from the pre Tameside Associations which were part of old divisions.

b.    (3 e, f, h, & g) These Amendments are intended to sanction supporting members in the Ashton and Droylsden Academies.

c.    (6 b) The list of officers is amended to include Union Learning Representative in place of Education Officer, to amend Equal Opportunities Officer to Equalities Officer and to add the Health & Safety Adviser and Membership Secretary.

d.    (6 e) The wording is amended to avoid listing the officers twice.

e.    (6 f) The wording is amended to make the rule that the vice President becomes the President and then the ex-President explicit.

f.    (6 g) The reference to Health & Safety Adviser has been deleted and the post added to the list of officers (6 b). The reference to Teacher Representatives has been deleted. TBF has been changed to TSN.

g.    (7 a) Conference delegates added to include all elections under one rule.

h.    (7 d) This now explicitly sanctions what we have always done.

i.    (8) No substantive change, cumbersome wording amended.

j.    (11) 11, 12, 13 & 14 merged into new section 11, Subsequent sections renumbered. No substantive changes.

k.    (16 b) {Formerly 19 b} The previous rule did not authorise the two other signatories to operate the accounts if the Treasurer was not available. This facility should be available in an emergency.

l.    (18 f ii) {Formerly 20 vi b} 'Collection of Subscriptions' deleted from the list of responsibilities of School Representatives. Subsequent sections renumbered.