GPUS SC Conference Call
Sunday, September 5, 2010
8:00 p.m. EDT
Co-chairs: Jason Nabewaniec, Julie Jacobson, Theresa El-Amin, Mike Feinstein, David Strand
Secretary: Holly Hart
Teasurer: Jeff Turner
Staff: Brian Bittner, Brent McMillan
Observer: Elie Yarden (MA), Platform Committee member, observed for part of the call
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Facilitator: David Strand
I. EXECUTIVE SESSION
Personnel Matter, requested by Theresa
8:13 – 8:30 p.m. EDT
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II. STAFF REPORTS
a. EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR – Brent
There are 328 candidates, as of this week. Our ticket isn’t as top-heavy as in the past; we have more candidates for state legislatures. Brent believes 4 or 5 have a real shot at winning.
b. OFFICE MANAGER – Brian
Sent report this afternoon, which includes some data about online appeals.
The party has lately been targeted, as it was before in 2009, for fraudulent online transactions. Brian spent a lot of time dealing with this last week. In 2009, it was discovered that people were making multiple small contributions over the course of a day, several times a month. It’s thought that people were attempting to set up fake credit card numbers and were testing card numbers to see what worked, to be used for fraudulent purchases elsewhere. This recently started again, and this time, they are more sophisticated in the numbers they use, not so obviously fake. Brian is not sure if we were selected randomly or if there is some political reason why our donations page was selected.
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III. TREASURER’S REPORT – Jeff
a. Report
Jeff sent a spreadsheet to the SC. Currently, we have $300 in reserve account; $4,025.57 in the general account. Accounts payable = $9,625.01. Jeff has paid rent, insurance, August payments and a couple of September bills. No extra money, but we are not sinking behind.
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IV. DISCUSSION, INFORMATION, PROPOSALS Regarding Personnel
Recommendations for Decision Items:
*1 – SC will sponsor a proposal to the GNC to confirm support for an office in D.C. Information from FinCom should be forthcoming. AGREED, consensus. Mike will write an initial draft, to have no later than Tuesday, then proceed with an online decision.
*2 – We will revise our personnel policy to align with the legal definition of what constitutes a part-time employee.
Discussion moved to the need to decide whether GPUS will offer health insurance to part-time employees. Currently, we have none. If we want to offer health insurance to (potential) part-time employees, we must decide to do so by September 9th or wait until renewal next year. Theresa stated her support for this. Julie agreed. Holly stated that, since we have no part-time employees and have not discussed staff re-configuration, and given our financial straits, we should wait until the next year. Jeff stated that he thought that was fiscally prudent, but that offering health insurance to part-time employees who would not be making a large salary might be an incentive. Mike asked about a potential situation where they had insurance through another avenue, whether they could decline health insurance through GPUS. Jeff believed that would not be possible. Both Jeff and Jason noted this could be considered a discriminatory practice.
PROPOSAL, Julie: That we amend our definition of full- and part-time employee to reflect the legal and insurance definition; and, that we offer health insurance to part-time employees.
VOTE
Jeff – Yes
Julie – Yes
David – Yes
Theresa – Yes
Mike – Yes
Jason – Yes
Holly – Abstain
APPROVED; 6 Yes, 1 Abstain
*3 – PROPOSAL, Holly: to re-constitute a SC ad-hoc committee, for the purpose of consulting with staff on potential job description revisions; and to develop a plan for disseminating a job announcement, and open and fair application process, to be brought back to the SC for review and approval.
AGREED, consensus
Jeff, Holly, Jason; note to SC will ask who else may be interested. David requested that this committee keep the time and access to any calls open, so others on the SC can listen, if they wish.
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VI. PORTFOLIOS
Mike – PCSC will formally approve who outreach will go to, then the text of the initial exploratory letter. The letter will go to anyone: 1) who has been a presidential or vice-presidential nominee in the past; 2) who received a vote at a nominating convention in a round in which had they received a majority of votes would have accepted the nomination; 3) existing or previous Green officeholders or candidates, high-profile. The letter would offer information as to what is required to get the nomination and what GPUS can offer as a party.
Theresa – AnmCom is moving forward. Theresa is pushing for the 2011 ANM to being Atlanta.
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NEXT CALL: Sunday, September 19, 2010, 8:00 p.m. EDT
SC agreed to include time to focus on staffing issue.