III. Members

1. Eligibility

a. Active membership shall be open to any person who is engaged in, or who is on limited leave of absence from, professional education work, is an employee of the Fairfield‑Suisun Unified School District, and whose primary assignment is such as not to hold supervisory responsibility over other certificated employees to such an extent as not to be represented in the negotiations process by the teacher bargaining unit.

b. Associate membership shall be open to any person who is interested in advancing the cause of public education but who is not eligible for Active membership in the Association, or excluded by III.1.c. below. Persons whose eligibility for Active membership have been withdrawn because of holding a supervisory position or upon retirement may be enrolled as Associate members in accordance with policies adopted by the Representative Council. Rights and privileges in such cases shall be limited to continuance of economic benefit and insurance programs previously held as Active members.

c. An individual who is serving as a negotiator for a public school employer shall not be eligible for membership in the Association.

2. Membership

a. Membership may be granted upon initiation of payroll deduction or upon payment of annual United Education Profession (UEP) dues appropriate to the class of membership.

b. The right to vote and to hold elective office or appointive position within the Association shall be limited to Active members.

c. All members shall be eligible to receive special services, to obtain assistance in the protection of professional and civil rights, and to receive reports and publications of the Association.

d. The membership year shall be that period from July 1 of any given calendar year through June 30 of the following calendar year, inclusive.

3. Dues, Fees, and Assessments

a. The basic annual dues level for Active members shall be sufficient to cover the operating expenses of the Association, the dues of CTA, and the dues of NEA.

b. The portion of the basic annual dues paid to the Association by members shall be established by action of the Representative Council at the last regular meeting of the school year.

c. Dues for Associate membership shall be apportioned on the same percentage basis as the full United Education Profession dues.

d. Membership in a given class or category shall be continuous after initial enrollment until delinquent or until a change in professional status shall make the member ineligible for that class or category.

4. Disciplinary Action

a. Discipline shall be limited to an action by a member that is contrary to or undermines a primary purpose of the Association as stated or implied in Article II of these Bylaws.

b. No member of the Association may be disciplined without a due process hearing that shall include the established appellate procedure.

c. The Executive Board shall preside at a due process hearing; the Representative Council shall preside at an appeal hearing.

d. Due process shall be defined as the opportunity for the accused party to be heard, to be informed of the matter, to choose to acquiesce or contest, and to assert the reasons for such choice.

e. By a 2/3 vote by secret ballot, the Executive Board may set a discipline up to and including the revocation of membership in the Association for the remainder of the workyear and two (2) additional years.

f. On appeal within twenty (20) workdays, and by a 2/3 vote by secret ballot, the Representative Council shall confirm the decision of the Executive Board or shall set a discipline up to and including the revocation of membership in the Association for the remainder of the workyear and two (2) additional years. The decision of the Representative Council shall be final.

g. By a majority vote, the Representative Council may direct the Executive Board to conduct a due process disciplinary hearing regarding an action of a member that is alleged to be contrary to or undermines a primary purpose or purposes of the Association as stated in Article II of these Bylaws.