Annual Council Elections - 2023

Elections

Council delegates who wish to run for First Vice-President, CTF Delegate, Discipline Committee, Professional Committee, or Resolutions Committee should complete a Nomination Form.

This Form is available in PDF format:

• PDF format may be printed off, completed, signed and forwarded to Central Office
• PDF Fillable Form

If you wish your Form to be included with the Council Workbook, it must be received by Central Office no later than March 24.

Completed nomination forms should be returned to:

Lisa Farmer
3106 Joseph Howe Drive
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3L 4L7

Fax: 477-3517
email: council@nstu.ca

Click here to download a copy of the Summary of the 2023 Council Elections

Click here to download a copy of the Campaign Guidelines from the NSTU Constitution

Click here to download a copy of Operational Procedures

Campaign Guidelines

For candidates running for Council Committees, such as Discipline, Professional, Resolutions or as CTF Delegate, you have one opportunity to submit your Campaign Information for inclusion in The Teacher. Please forward to phamer@staff.nstu.ca:

• The deadline for inclusion of Campaign Information in the April edition of The Teacher is April 6th. 

Please peruse the Guidelines below for specifics for each opportunity.

From the NSTU Constitution

Campaign Guidelines

(a)  These guidelines apply to any election campaign within the NSTU.

(b) Active campaigning within Council Chambers is prohibited except for the normal address to Delegates by Presidential and First Vice-Presidential Candidates. Passive campaigning within Council Chambers is permitted.

(c)  Active or passive campaigning for elections or activities not related to the structure or operations of the NSTU are prohibited within Council Chambers.

(d) Active campaigning shall be considered any display or action that involves the presentation of partisan information in a manner that is difficult for a group of Delegates to avoid. Examples of such active campaigning include, but is not limited to, the display of campaign posters, the shouting of campaign slogans, shouting out in support of a candidate other than during the normal address to delegates, distributing materials throughout Council Chambers including the placing of campaign materials anywhere within Council Chambers prior to, during, or following a Council session, and demonstrations in support of a given candidate.

(e)  Passive campaigning shall be considered any display or action that is observable only by people in the immediate vicinity of the campaign material and involves no explicit action to promote or advance those materials at the time at which the material is seen or heard. Examples of such passive campaigning include the use of written materials containing references to a candidate, the wearing of campaign clothing, buttons, or ornaments, and the presence of a single copy of a candidate’s campaign literature at delegates’ seats and table spots.

(f)  A candidate or representative of the candidate is permitted to place up to one (1) item per delegate per session at the tables in Council Chambers prior to the start of the session. This would replace campaign material distribution at other times. A candidate would still be permitted to greet delegates as they enter Council Chambers.

(g)  Paid advertisements in any medium (press, radio, TV, The Teacher) are prohibited.

(h) The use of employer email is prohibited for campaigning purposes.

(i)   The use of the Membership Registry is prohibited for campaigning purposes by individual candidates.

(j)   The number of campaign posters/banners on display in the hotel(s) at Annual Council may be controlled by the hotel(s). If the hotel(s) do limit the number of posters/banners candidates will be informed of such limitations the week prior to the start of Council. A campaign poster shall include any poster, banner or sign posted by or for a Member running for an elected position that makes a reference to the candidate and/or the position being sought.

From Operational Procedures

Elections Conducted at Annual Council – First Vice-President, Discipline Committee, Professional Committee, Resolutions Committee, and CTF Delegates

I. Nominations

a. Elections at Annual Council shall be held for the following positions:

i. office of First Vice-President,

ii. NSTU delegates sent to the Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Teachers’ Federation,

iii. members serving on the Discipline Committee,

iv. members serving on the Professional Committee, and

v. members serving on the Resolutions Committee.

b. Nominations for elections held at Annual Council shall open on the last Friday in February.

c. Nominations for elections held at Annual Council shall be submitted on the official Nomination Form found on the NSTU website. Individuals may nominate themselves.

d. A candidate’s Nomination Form must be completed and received by the Executive Director or designate no later than noon on the Friday of Annual Council.

e. Notwithstanding c and d. above, candidates may be nominated from the floor of Council by any Voting Delegate of Annual Council, without the need to complete a Nomination Form.

f. Nominations for the office of First Vice-President shall close, with the Independent Chair’s call for further nominations from the floor, during the Friday evening Session of Annual Council.

g. Nominations for Committee members and CTF Delegate shall close, with the Independent Chair’s call for further nominations from the floor, during the Saturday afternoon Session of Annual Council.