RESPONSIBILITY BY PORTFOLIO
A Vice-President leads a defined area of union work and is responsible for its result. The role exists to spread both work and political responsibility beyond one presidential office.
A Vice-President leads a defined area of union work and is responsible for its result. The role exists to spread both work and political responsibility beyond one presidential office.
A title without a portfolio hides responsibility. A defined portfolio lets members know whom to question and which report to examine.
Convention delegates elect the Vice-Presidents. After the election, the Provincial Executive chooses the First Vice-President and establishes the order for replacing the President.
The First position therefore reflects the judgment of the whole Executive, while every Vice-President still holds a direct Convention mandate.
A Vice-President guides union policy in the assigned field, oversees staff working in that field and makes sure resources produce the result approved by Convention.
Political oversight does not mean doing every technical task. It means setting direction within the mandate, asking for evidence and being answerable for the outcome.
Staff provide knowledge, continuity and execution. The Vice-President gives political direction approved by elected bodies and checks whether the work serves members.
Neither side should replace the other: staff do not become an unelected political authority, and an officer does not pretend to be every kind of professional specialist.
A Vice-President acts only within the portfolio, Executive decisions, program and budget. The role cannot be used to create a private department or independent political course.
Committees and commissions remain member bodies. Non-members and staff may not sit on elected bodies unless they are also union members; bargaining is governed by its own approved rules.
Each Vice-President reports separately before the President’s overall report at the Mid-Term Accountability Conference. This makes both achievement and failure visible.
If the Disciplinary Chamber finds a violation, the Executive appoints an acting officer and Regional Presidiums choose a temporary replacement until the conference confirms or changes the arrangement.