Union basics: Good meetings

To spread the news from events such as the recent IEU training day at Trades Hall, good meetings are essential.

Every educator knows how precious time is and how important it is that meetings are productive and efficient.

Sub-branches, the essential workplace grass roots basis of any healthy union, require clear structure and consistent processes to help ensure that discussions are fair, efficient, and inclusive.

Well-run meetings allow all members to contribute, keep to agreed topics, and reach decisions in a timely way, rather than being dominated by a few voices or drifting without direction.

Understanding how meetings are organised, how agendas are used, and how motions, debate, and voting operate will help new members participate confidently and ensure their views are heard.

This guide outlines the key elements of effective meetings and the procedures commonly used to support orderly discussion and decision-making.

RUNNING GOOD MEETINGS

It’s important to make meetings interesting, orderly, and concise. People are busy, and if meetings run too long or are dominated by a handful of participants, many will not attend in future. Meetings can be held in person, online or as a hybrid of the two. Good meetings are planned, well-chaired and make decisions that are implemented.

BEFORE THE MEETING

• Decide on the format of the meeting and the degree of formality required.
• Clarify the purpose and type of meeting.
• Choose a convenient and accessible meeting time, such as a lunch break (casuals may prefer to meet after hours or off-site).
• Book the venue (or circulate links for an online meeting).
• Promptly notify members and promote the meeting, providing clear details about its purpose.
• Decide whether to invite potential members — usually not, but occasionally this can be a good recruitment tool.
• Arrange for any equipment or material that may be needed.
• Prepare and circulate the agenda and a rough time limit for each item.

THE MEETING AGENDA COULD INCLUDE:

• Apologies from members not in attendance
• Minutes of previous meeting
• Business arising from those minutes
• Correspondence
• Reports (e.g. from Consultative Committee)
• General business (e.g. union sub-branch proposals to be raised to Consultative Committee)
• Business arising from that correspondence

DURING THE MEETING

• Open the meeting, welcome everyone and acknowledge Country.
• Outline the purpose of the meeting.
• Ask someone to take minutes.
• One person at a time speaks.
• Keep the discussion professional.
• Limit speaking times so the meeting doesn’t get bogged down by repetition or unimportant issues.
• If someone wants to speak, they raise their hand and the chair calls on them.
• No repeat speakers until everyone has had a chance to speak.
• Speakers must stick to the subject. If they want to talk about something different, they must wait until the first issue is dealt with.
• If a decision must be made, a vote is taken on that issue.
• Note the result (‘passed’ or ‘failed’ is generally enough) in the minutes.
• Once the vote is taken, the meeting moves on to the next issue.

FOLLOW-UP AND DECISION-MAKING

• Ensure decisions are made on every agenda item.
• Designate who is responsible for implementing each decision.
• Identify a date by which decisions must be implemented.

MOTIONS AND AMENDMENTS

AMENDMENTS

• An amendment to a motion must be clear and relevant to the original motion.
• An amendment that is carried becomes the motion and is then voted on.
• If passed, an amendment changes the wording of the original motion.

FORESHADOWED MOTIONS

• To put a motion in a different form to that before the meeting, another motion can be foreshadowed.
• The foreshadowed motion should be read to the meeting.
• If the original motion is lost, the foreshadowed motion may be moved.
• If the original motion is carried, the foreshadowed motion lapses if it is incompatible.

DEBATE

• The mover of a motion has the opportunity to speak to it – if they don’t, they can’t speak again until the end of the debate when the mover has a second right to speak.
• Usually speakers should be ‘one for’ then ‘one against’ the motion.
• No more than two speakers from either side should speak in a row – if there are no speakers for the other side, the motion should be put (voted upon).
• At any time during the debate a member can ask for the motion to be put.
• A vote is then taken and if it has the majority, the motion is put to the meeting.
• The chair of the meeting should ensure debate doesn’t get bogged down or repetitious – if this occurs they should, with the support of the meeting, end debate and put the motion.

SUSPENDING STANDING ORDERS AND MOVING ‘INTO COMMITTEE’

• A standing order is an instruction or prescribed procedure in force permanently or until changed or cancelled.
• Standing orders can be suspended to:
o consider an item of importance not on the agenda.
o allow a visiting speaker to be heard.
o move ‘into committee’ so matters can be discussed less formally and members can speak several times.

WHEN A MOTION IS MOVED

• the chair calls for a seconder.
• seconder seconds the motion.
• mover states the reasons for the motion and why it should be supported (optional).
• seconder speaks in support of the motion (optional).
• the Chair asks if there is any opposition to the motion (if not, the vote should be taken immediately).
• speaker against speaks against motion.
• the chair calls for further speakers for or against.
• mover can exercise ‘right of reply’.
• the Chair takes the vote on the motion and declares the result.
• where ‘tellers’ (vote counters) are used they should be people who have not spoken in the debate and are acceptable to the meeting.

Conflict of interest
• The onus on all members is to disclose if they have a conflict of interest.

-Taken from the IEU Rep Handbook