The aspirations of the Union are to construct an organization which shall preserve the interest of all its members.

Mankind generally condemns that which they do not thoroughly understand and through prejudice and ignorance neglect to pay strict attention and regard to the principle of unity for evaluating their condition and for the accomplishment of good work which is much required in creating confidence, generating esteem and respect and for promoting harmony and good feeling among themselves; therefore, let every member weigh the substance of these laws within their mind and thus become qualified to determine upon that which is herein set forth in the spirit of sincerity and honesty of purpose.

As earnest proof that we entertain a true sense of obligations, interest and duties, toward one another, each member should make themselves thoroughly acquainted with the laws herein contained, that they may avoid imposing upon the same, and also be prepared to use their influence on those who do not as yet belong to the Union, but whose only reason for not belonging to it is that the benefits offered have never been fully explained to them. Above all, members should avoid becoming in arrears. Large numbers, which should insure "strength" very frequently, produce weakness, because those in arrears are debarred from the benefits, and also make it impossible to meet the claims which are made by members who are in good standing.

Recognizing the right of the employer to control their capital, we also claim and will exercise the right to control our labor, and be consulted in determining the price paid for it.

We therefore urge upon all members to join with us in our efforts to secure through the power of the organization a steady demand and a fair compensation for our toil, and a position in society to which we are justly entitled. Recognizing the need of united political action, we urge the political policies as determined

by the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations shall be the basic foundation for our political beliefs. We must assist in electing to public office only those favorable to the cause we espouse, which is the cause of human freedom and in doing so, elect our friends and defeat our enemies. ARTICLE I

NAME AND JURISDICTION

SECTION 1. This organization shall be known as Plumbers Local No. 17 of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada, AFL - CIO.

SECTION 3. The Business Representative (s) shall be selected by the Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer (one of which shall be appointed Assistant to the Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer). To be eligible for appointment as a Business Representative, the experience and familiarity of applicants for a Business Representative position in a particular region will be taken into account for applicants who are otherwise qualified. The Business Representative (s) shall see that working rules are strictly enforced, shall attend to all business pertaining to the Local, as instructed by the Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer. The number of Business Representatives shall be set by the business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer with the approval of the executive board.

(a) In the absence of the President at any meetings in which the President would preside, the Vice-President will assume the chair.

(b) In the absence of the Vice-President at any meetings at which the Vice-President would preside, that member of the Executive Board who received the most votes at the last general election shall preside.

(c) In the absence of the Business Manager/Financial-Secretary Treasurer the assistant to the Business Manager, (as designated by the Business Manager), shall take over the duties of the Business Manager until the Business Manager returns.

(a) Upon the death, disability, ineligibility or resignation of the President, the Vice-President shall assume the duties of the President for the balance of the unexpired term.

(b) Upon the death, disability, ineligibility or resignation of the Vice-President, the member of the Executive Board who received the most votes at the last general election shall assume the duties of the Vice-President for the balance of the unexpired term.

(c) Upon the death, disability, ineligibility or resignation of a member of the Executive Board the position will be filled as soon as possible by the President with the approval of the Executive Board for the balance of the unexpired term.

(d) Upon the death, disability, ineligibility or resignation of the Recording Secretary, Inside Guard, Finance Committee Member, or Examining Board Member, the position will be filled as soon as possible by the President with the approval of the Executive Board for the balance of the unexpired term.

(e) Upon the death, disability, ineligibility or resignation of the Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer, the Assistant to the Business Manager (as designated by the Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer), shall immediately assume the duties of Business Manager for a period of ninety (90) days. If there is no Assistant to the Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer, the President shall appoint a member to assume the duties of Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer for a period of ninety (90) days. A new Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer shall be elected to serve during the balance of the unexpired term in accordance with the election procedures in Article V11. ARTICLE VI

MEETINGS

SECTION 1. The Local Union shall hold a general monthly membership meeting on the third Tuesday of each month at 5:00 PM at a place designated by the Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer. Fifteen (15) members will constitute a quorum.

At least twenty (20) days prior to the nomination meeting specific notice shall be mailed to the last known address of all members setting forth (1) the date, time and place of the nomination meeting, the offices to be filled and the method of nomination; (2) the date, time and place of the election and the offices to be filled and (3) in the event of a tie vote for any office, the date, time and place for the runoff election. Each member shall be advised in the notice that the election rules are set forth in the International and Local Constitution and By-Laws which are available upon request.

(a) Every member in good standing in the Local for a period of one year shall have the right to nominate, vote for, or otherwise support the candidate of their choice. Any member whose dues have been withheld by their employer for

payment to the Local Union pursuant to his voluntary authorization provided in a Collective Bargaining Agreement shall be declared ineligible to nominate or vote for a candidate for office in the Local Union, by reason of a delay or default in the payment of dues by the member to the Union.

(b) To be eligible for election to any office in this Local Union, a member must be a Journeyperson and in continuous good standing in this Local Union for a period of two (2) years prior to the nomination for office and must be eligible to hold office if elected. However, if a member is involuntarily transferred from another local to this local, the member will be given credit for their period of good standing in the other local when computing the two (2) year period. "Continuous good standing" means the payment of dues on or before the last business day of the current months with no interruptions in active membership because of suspensions, expulsions, withdrawals, "failure to pay fines or other assessments for a period of two (2) years". Payment of dues after their due date shall not restore good standing status for each month or months in computing the continuous two (2) year period.

(c) No member shall hold more than one office at the same time except as provided in Section 113 (b) of the United Association Constitution which allows the Business Manager and Financial Secretary-Treasurer offices to be combined and these shall be the only two offices that the person shall hold.

(a) Nominations shall be held in accordance with the provisions of Section 1 (a)

above at a general or special meeting or meetings. Nominations and conduct of the election and related questions shall be the first order of business at the nomination meeting and complete minutes shall be kept of that business. Nothing in this provision shall prohibit the holding of special meetings, at which meetings nominations and the conduct of the election shall be the sole order of business.

(b) Nominations shall be made at the meeting by a member in good standing, other than the nominee, by motion and seconded by a member in good standing, other than the nominee.

(c) Every member eligible to nominate candidates shall be entitled to nominate

     (1) candidate, but only one (1) for each office open.

(d) Nominations shall not be closed until a call for further nominations has been made (3) times by the Chair without further nominations being made.

(e) In the event only one candidate is nominated for any office, no election shall be conducted for office and such unopposed candidate shall be declared elected by acclamation at the nomination meeting, effective as of the conclusion of the term of the previous incumbent.

(f) Candidates must accept nomination at the time made either in person or, if absent, in writing, and may accept nomination for one office only. An officer holding and office that is not up for election, is not eligible for nomination to some other Local Union Office unless he first resigns the office held.

A resignation under this section must be written and filed with the Local Union Prior to the mailing of nomination meeting notices.

(g) After a candidate has accepted nomination, the candidate may not, under any circumstances, revoke the acceptance after the ballots are printed, except where as a result of the revocation, the remaining candidate is unopposed.

(h) If any nominee should die before the election, the nominee’s name shall nevertheless appear on the ballot. In the event such deceased nominee shall receive the requisite number of votes to be elected, the position shall then be filled in the same manner as vacancies are filled when they occur during a term of office as otherwise provided herein.

(a) After the nominations meeting, but not less than twenty (20) days prior to the election, specific notice of the date, time and place, of the election and of the offices to be filled shall be mailed to each member at their last known home address if no notice has previously been sent.

(b) 1). Voting shall be conducted by a secret ballot among the members in good standing. There shall be no proxy voting. Each member shall be entitled to one (1) vote.

     2). Voting shall be by secret mail ballot subject to the approval of mail balloting by the General President in accordance with the provisions in Section 127 of the United Association Constitution. If a mail ballot is disapproved by the General President, separate polling places shall be established by the Election Committee sufficient to provide an opportunity for all members to vote. The Business Manager/ Financial Secretary-Treasurer shall file a request for a mail ballot then rules for the election shall be as prescribed by the General President.

3). The Election Committee shall have the authority to establish all rules and regulations for the conduct of the election to supplement the provisions of the Local and International Constitution and By-Laws.

(c) Each candidate, at their own expense, shall have the right to have an observer other than themselves at the polling place, if polling places are established, and at the counting of ballots. An observer must be a member of the Local Union in good standing. Observers may challenge the eligibility of voters and each challenged ballot shall be sealed in a blank envelope which in turn shall be sealed in an envelope with the name of the voter thereon. If votes are challenged, such challenge shall be made in writing at the time of the election with the specific reasons given for such challenge. Challenges shall be investigated by the Election Committee to determine their validity, if the challenged ballots are sufficient in number to affect the results of the election. The blank envelope containing the ballot shall not be opened until such time as all challenges have been ruled upon. Upon request of any candidate, deemed reasonable by the Election Committee, voting machines, if used, shall be checked for proper operation. Candidates shall have the right to be present at the counting of the ballots.

(d) The candidate for each office who receives a plurality of the votes cast for the office shall be elected thereto except in the case of the Executive Board. For these offices, the candidates shall be elected in the descending order of the votes received starting with the candidate receiving the highest number of votes cast. In case of a tie vote between two or more candidates for a single available position, a runoff election shall be held among those candidates.

(e) There shall be no write-in candidates and any ballot containing a write-in candidate shall be void insofar as the vote for that office in concerned and such ballot for the Office shall not be considered as having been cast in determining the vote for that office.

(f) Upon reasonable request of the bona fide candidate for office, the business office shall arrange for the distribution of any campaign literature by mail, provided that such candidate pays the reasonable cost involved.

(g) The business office shall, upon reasonable notice, make available for inspection at the Local Union office by any bona fide candidate the membership list of the Local containing the names and the last known addresses of all members of the labor organization who are subject to a Collective Bargaining Agreement requiring membership therein as a condition of employment within thirty (30) days prior to the election.

(a) Any member who desires to challenge a ruling in eligibility to run for office shall appeal, in writing, within forty-eight (48) hours after receipt of the ruling to the Election Committee who shall decide such as appeal within seven (7) days after a receipt of the protest. The decision of the Election Committee shall be appealable to the General President within three (3) days of the adverse ruling by the Election Committee. The decision of their General President is final, binding and conclusive.

(b) In the event there shall be a protest by any member concerning the conduct or validity of the Local Election, such protest shall be filed with the General President within five (5) working days after the election. The protest shall be simultaneously served on the Local Union. The protest shall clearly and specifically set forth the grounds upon which the protesting member relies to set aside or invalidated the election. The General President shall refer the protest to one of his representatives, who shall conduct an investigation and render a decision. Any candidate or the Local Union not satisfied with the representative’s decision must appeal in writing within three (3) days to the General President. The General President shall have the right to affirm, reverse, modify or change the decision of their representative or enter such other decision as the facts to the General President’s discretion warrant. The decision of the General President shall be final, binding and conclusive, and there shall be no further appeal.

The election shall be conducted by a committee known as the Election Committee. It shall consist of three (3) members. One member shall be appointed by the President; one member shall be appointed by the Business Manager; and one member shall be appointed by the Executive Board.

Installation of officers shall take place at the January membership meeting for those officers elected in December. In other situations, the officers-elect shall be installed at the same meeting in which they are elected, or if not elected at a meeting, at the next meeting following their election. ARTICLE VIII

FINANCES

SECTION 1. All monies received by the Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer shall be kept in such respective funds as may from time to time be established by the Local Union.

(a) Effective February 1, 1995 the monthly dues for journeyperson members of Local 17 shall be established by the local union for working members and twenty-nine ($29.00) per non-working member.

(b) Effective February 1, 1995 the monthly dues for Apprentice members of Local 17 shall be as established by the Local Union.

SECTION 6. Travel card dues and rules pertaining to the issuance, use and suspension of travel cards shall be governed by the provisions in the United Association Constitution.

All members shall notify the Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer of change of address.

SECTION 4. The Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer shall receive ten percent (10%) above the Foreman rate of wages in addition to all fringe benefits based on the highest Working Agreement within the Local for straight time hours per week. The Business Representative (s) shall receive the Foreman rate of wages in addition to all fringe benefits based on the highest Working agreement within the Local for straight time per hours.

The Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer, Assistant to the Business Manager, Business Representative (s), or any member or other persons funds of Local No. 17 shall be bonded to comply with the law. The premium charges for such bonds shall be paid by the Local Union.

Local Union 17 may affiliate with any organization which has for its objective improvement of organized labor or which, in the opinion of the Local Union No. 17 and its members directly or indirectly.

SECTION 5. No member shall work any overtime for the straight time rate of pay, unless provided for in a Collective Bargaining Agreement. Any member who violates any of the provisions of this section shall be subject to a minimum of fifty ($50.00) dollars fine after charges as provided in Section 211 of the United Association Constitution.

Any member who violates any provisions contained in either these By-Laws or the United Association Constitution shall be subject to being charged and tried as provided in the United Association Constitution. All members shall have the right to appeal any discipline imposed through procedures outlined in the United Association Constitution. Local Union No. 17 may enforce in any court or agency of competent jurisdiction any discipline imposed by it on its members.

Local Union No. 17 shall designate members who are either Officers or Business Representatives of the Local Union to act as Trustees of the Health and Welfare Trust Funds. Pension Trust Funds, Apprenticeship/Training Trust Funds, and any/or any other Trust Funds that may be established. Local Union No. 17 shall designate the Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer, currently in office, to be a trustee on each of the aforementioned Trust Funds by virtue of the office. The Business Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer on behalf of Local Union

No. 17 shall be empowered to appoint and remove all members who act as trustees.

ARTICLE XXV

AMENDMENT

SECTION 1. Any part of these By-Laws may be amended or repealed in accordance with the following procedure.

All proposed amendments shall be submitted to the President in writing at a regular membership meeting. The President shall read the proposed amendment to the membership along with the name (s) of the member (s) proposing the amendment. The proposed amendment shall be submitted to a By-Laws Committee. The By-Laws Committee, within sixty (60) days, shall prepare a report and recommendation on the proposed amendment and conduct a secret ballot vote of the membership on the amendment. The rules for the secret ballot vote shall be established by the Election Committee. Approval of an amendment to the By-Laws shall require the affirmative vote of two-thirds (2/3) of the members voting. The By-Laws Committee shall consist of Business-Manager/Financial Secretary-Treasurer, President, Vice President and Chairman of the Finance Committee. A member at large shall also be appointed by the Business Manager. The Business Manager shall be the Chairman of the By-Laws Committee.

Each applicant, before becoming a member of Local Union No. 17, shall take the

following pledge or oath of obligation:

Roberts Rules of Order and common sense.

to enforce on all occasions the observance of order or decorum among the members, shall have the right to fine any member twenty ($20.00) dollars for each offense or expulsion from the meeting or election.

Article XXVIII

POLICY PROHIBITING DISCRIMINATION

Plumbers Local No. 17 of the United Association of Journeymen and Apprentices of the Plumbing and Pipefitting Industry of the United States and Canada is committed to equal employment opportunities for and fair representation of its member’s, and it will not tolerate illegal discrimination or harassment in the representation of members. The recruitment, training, referral and representation of members will be without discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, age (40 or older), disability, religion, national origin or any other classification protected by Federal, State or Local law. The Business Manager of Local 17 is responsible for implementing and enforcing this policy.

Illegal harassment because of sex, race, religion, national origin, age, or disability involves unwelcome comments or other conduct concerning someone’s sex, race, religion, national origin, age (40 or older), or disability that is frequent enough or severe enough to affect the representation of a member.

Illegal racial harassment is unwelcome racial language or other racial conduct that is frequent enough or severe enough to affect the representation of a member. Some examples of racial harassment include making offensive racial comments, like using racial slurs or calling people offensive racial names (such as using the word "boy" to refer to an African American man); telling "jokes" involving offensive racial language; engaging in tricks or pranks or "jokes" that involve offensive racial conduct; showing offensive racial photographs, drawings, or computer images; or sending emails or text messages containing offensive racial words, photographs, or drawings.

Illegal sexual harassment is unwelcome sexual language or other sexual conduct that is frequent enough or severe enough to affect the representation of a member. Some examples of sexual harassment include sexual touching; making sexual comments, requests, or demands for sex; talking about sex; showing sexual photographs, drawings, or computer images; pranks or "jokes" involving sexual language or other sexual conduct; or sending emails or text messages containing sexual words, photographs, or drawings.

Any member who feels the Union has discriminated against him/her in recruitment, training, referral or representation should report it immediately to Frank Rodgers, Business Manager at (901) 368-0900, or Tim Taylor Attorney at Law at (901)-528-1702 The Law Offices of Godwin, Morris, Laurenzi and Bloomfield P.C.. All such complaints will be promptly and thoroughly investigated in as impartial and confidential manner as possible. A timely resolution of each complaint will be reached and communicated to the parties. If a complaint of discrimination and/or harassment is found to be valid, immediate and appropriate corrective action will be taken.

Any member who feels that an Employer has discriminated against or harassed him/her in employment should report it immediately to any of the Employer’s foremen or

supervisory personnel, regardless of whether the person who engaged in the discrimination or harassment is a co-worker, supervisor or non-employee.