WCCA BylawsCONSTITUTION AND BYLAWS OREGON WORKERS' COMPENSATION CLAIMS ASSOCIATION PREAMBLE The purpose and objective of the WCCA shall be to promote the general welfare of our membership by developing close relationships with those engaged in the handling of workers' compensation claims and to ensure cooperation by exchanging of experiences through discussion and education. ARTICLE I The name of the association will be the Workers' Compensation Claims Association. ARTICLE II Objectives The objectives of the Association are as follows: 1. To monitor the function of the Oregon Workers' Compensation System; in particular, procedures or methods adopted or instituted by the Department of Consumer & Business Services. 2. To consult with the Department of Consumer & Business Services regarding the development of any problem within the system. 3. To maintain continuing review of basic state forms; both in review of new forms, and the use of existing forms and procedures. 4. To maintain liaison including but not limited to the Oregon Medical Association, unions, hospital associations, Oregon Self-Insured Association, the Bar Association, the Oregon Legislature and other risk management and claims groups. 5. To provide information and direction in a continuing education program. ARTICLE III Membership There are two levels of membership: membership with voting privileges and membership without voting privileges. 1. Voting Members: Membership with voting privileges is open to all individuals, firms or corporations who are authorized to, and are actively engaged in, providing Workers' Compensation coverage to, and or processing Workers Compensation claims on behalf of, employers in the State of Oregon. There are five levels of membership with tiered voting rights. Active Members shall be entitled to vote as follows:
A. Individual Membership* 1 vote B. Companies with 0-25 Workers' Compensation technicians 1 vote C. Companies with 26-40 Workers' Compensation technicians 2 votes D. Companies with 41-75 Workers' Compensation technicians 3 votes E. Companies with 76 or more Workers' Compensation technicians 4 votes These voting privileges are for any issue or matter submitted to a vote of the membership. Members are also entitled to have their luncheons, seminars, etc. supplemented in part by WCCA. * If an individual member with voting privileges is employed by a firm or corporation who is also a member with voting privileges, the individual member will not have voting privileges, rather the right to vote will belong solely to their employer.
2. Professional Members:
Membership with no voting privileges is open
to any person, corporation, or other entity specifically in business to
provide a service in connection with workers' compensation matters, and
shall be designated Professional Members. They may not hold any office other
than the Professional Board member position described under Article, unless
there is no Voting Member who is willing to come forward to hold the other
Officer positions. In any given year when there is no Voting Member willing
to take office, a Professional Member may then be allowed to hold the
position, as well as advance through the officer positions. Professional
Members will be able to discuss and present ideas, thoughts, and any
particular new information to the open membership during an open meeting.
3. The membership dues for Professional Members is the same as that for Voting Members and will entitle them to have their luncheons, seminars and any other activities subsidized by WCCA. ARTICLE IV Membership Dues Membership dues shall be assessed annually. Dues shall be based on whether the membership is as an individual or as a Company. Individual membership is open to people who are not currently employed by a member firm or corporation. Firm or corporation membership dues shall be assessed based upon the number of their employees whose primary job functions are related to Workers' Compensation matters. These dues shall be approved by the majority of the membership. Sixty day written notice shall be provided all members prior to any change in the annual dues. Dues are payable by the first day of April with no proration during said year. Members not paying dues will forfeit Association privileges. The dues shall be as follows:
Individual memberships $15.00
Payment of dues entitles regular members to voting privileges as described in Article III, and all members to Association correspondence and other privileges as described in Article III. ARTICLE V Management and Election of Officers The administration and management of the Association shall be carried out by a six-member board, who shall be known as the Executive Board. They are President, Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, First Past President, and Professional Member Representative whose duties shall be as follows: President: To preside at meetings of the Association and the Executive Board and to provide necessary leadership and direction for the Association; to perform such duties as are usually performed by presidents; to be an ex-officio voting member of each committee; to appoint committees as necessary. Vice-President: To preside at meetings of the Association and the Executive Board in absence of the President; to oversee membership education programs, including but not limited to luncheon speakers and education committee; to have such duties in connection with the overall supervision of the Association as may be assigned by the President. Secretary: To preserve and distribute an accurate record of all proceedings at meetings; to ensure all bulletins and notices are sent in a timely manner, which will include announcements of all relevant information to the membership. Treasurer: To collect and disperse the funds of the Association with the approval of the Executive Board, and to preserve a proper record thereof. Professional Membership Representative: To be a resource to the elected officers; to be a liaison with the non-insurer community; to provide the Association with a non-insurer perspective on workers' compensation issues. The Professional Member Representative will have voting privileges. This member will be appointed by the elected officers and may serve a term of up to 24 consecutive months and thereafter cannot serve in this capacity within the next 12 consecutive months. ARTICLE VII Committees The Executive Board shall appoint committee members to include but not limited to following categories.
1. Education 5. Membership. 6. Liaison with Workers Compensation Department - Department of Consumer and Business Services. 7. Web Page. ARTICLE VIII Limitations No officer or member company shall make or incur any debt or liability in the name of the Association, or in its behalf, or for its interest, except as duly authorized by the Association. No officer or member company shall be empowered to use the name of the Association in any manner or for any purpose unless previously authorized by the Association. Activity by the Association shall be advisory only and shall not commit any member company or representative to any course of action.
ARTICLE IX
Removals (or) suspensions or vacancies 1. Ten days written notice must be given to Regular members before a vote can be taken to removed or suspend an elected officer. The notice must specify the proposed action, reasons for the votes, date, time and place of the vote.
2. Any officer by a two-thirds vote of the Regular membership present
may be removed or suspended. 3. Any elected officer who voluntarily or involuntarily discontinues employment of any company that provides and/or processes Workers' Compensation claims in the State of Oregon must immediately resign his or her office.
4. Vacancy of the Professional Member Representative position, for any reason, will be filled by appointment by the elected officers.
ARTICLE X
Expenditures ARTICLE XI
Meetings Majority vote of the Regular member Companies or Individual Members shall allow passage of the issue before the Association except as described in Article IX. A complete list of member companies or Individual members entitled to vote shall be readily available at each meeting. This record shall be kept in the possession of the Secretary/Treasurer and shall be kept current. There will be no solicitation allowed by any person or group to the membership at the meetings. Solicitation by a member company can result in withdrawal of their membership in the Association. Sponsoring of Association activities, including donations, shall be allowed with advance approval of one of the elected Executive Board members. ARTICLE XII Amendments The constitution and by-laws may be amended at any meeting of the membership, provided that notice of such meeting, together, with the proposed amendment, shall be sent by the Secretary to each regular member company or individual member of the Association at least ten days prior to the date of such meeting.
1. Amended 04/74 Last revised: April 28, 2006 |
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