ARTICLE I – Name and Purpose 

Section I 

This organization shall be known as the Freelance Solidarity Project (hereafter referred to as “the Project”). 

Section II 

The purpose of the Project is to build the collective power of freelance media workers. 

ARTICLE II – Membership 

Section I – Membership Requirements 

Membership requirements are as follows: 

● Must be a current or former freelance media worker; 

● Must have attended at least one meeting of the Project. 

All such members as above are eligible to vote, nominations, and hold office.

Section II – Removal 

Membership rights in the Project, or participation in the Project’s activities, may be denied or suspended for the following reasons: 

● Abuse of power, harassment, or assault; 

● Psychological or emotional battering; 

● Scabbing, union busting, or anti-labor activities contrary to the purpose of the Project; ● A history of work that denigrates the exploited or oppressed. 

Mediation is the preferred means of conflict resolution between Project members; however, any member of the Project may move to remove another member for any of the above reasons at any time. If such a motion is made, within 24 hours the Steering Committee will notify the member subject to the motion and facilitate an online vote for removal. Voting on a member removal must be open for at least 48 hours, or until the entirety of the Steering Committee casts

a vote, and may be open for 5 days at most. Removal will require a simple majority vote of the Steering Committee. 

Once a motion for removal is made, the member subject to the motion will be immediately suspended without membership rights until voting concludes. Suspension may include removal from any of the Project’s communications channels. 

Section III – Mediation 

Any member of the Project may request at any time that a member of the Steering Committee be assigned to mediate a conflict between them and another member of the Project. The primary purpose of any mediation is to protect and support the complainant, to make the accused gain insight into the effects of their behavior, to prevent future incidents, and to further a culture of solidarity and equality in the Project. 

ARTICLE III – General Meetings 

Section I 

General meetings shall be the highest decision-making body of the Project. A general meeting shall be held at least once per each calendar month. 

A quorum necessary for decisions made at a General Meeting to be valid shall be 75% of the average attendance of the last 3 general meetings. Decisions may be put to an online vote for active membership, and online votes are subject to the same quorum requirements as in-meeting decisions. 

If less than a quorum is present, the meeting may continue, but no non-routine decisions may be decided. Non-routine decisions are defined as any decision that would substantially change the ongoings of the Project. Such decisions include, but are not limited to, the following: 

● Tactical and strategic questions; 

● Creating or eliminating a working group or committee; 

● Reallocating previously allocated resources; 

● Engaging with a new coalition partner or ending such a partnership; ● Amending these bylaws. 

Membership may reschedule or call for additional general meeting at any time following a simple majority of quorum. Any rescheduled general meetings must be scheduled with one week’s notice.

Section II – Minutes 

All general meetings must be documented with minutes to be made available to all members on request. 

Section III – Agenda Items and Proposals 

Any member of the Project may motion for the General Meeting to take up an agenda item or proposal, with a second, prior to or at the beginning of the meeting. It must be adopted by a simple majority of the Project members present. 

ARTICLE IV – Steering Committee 

Section I 

The Steering Committee is responsible for organizing General Meetings, facilitating communication and coordination between working groups, and fostering the community of Project members, to which they are responsive and accountable. 

The Steering Committee shall meet at least twice per each calendar month, with the understanding that video or teleconferencing is allowed. While these meetings will be open to all Project members, they will be particularly useful for freelance media workers who are active in the Project, workers who are involved with union committees at their publication, and representatives from other organizations. 

Votes within the Steering Committee will be performed by majority vote. A quorum of sixty percent of Steering Committee members will be required for a valid Steering Committee meeting. 

Any Steering Committee vote on non-routine decisions (as referenced in ARTICLE III, Section I) will be provisional, subject to ratification or rejection at the next General Meeting. In the event that a vote is time sensitive (e.g. A coalition partner asks for the Project’s co-sponsorship or endorsement of an event that will take place before the next General Meeting), the Steering Committee’s decision will be valid. 

Section II – Composition 

The Steering Committee will be composed of three elected representatives from each Working Group, two co-chairs, and a secretary. Representatives from coalition partners or allied organizations (e.g. WGAE staff organizers) are entitled to a non-voting seat on the steering committee.

Section III – Officers 

The general membership of the Project shall elect two co-chairs and a secretary (“the Officers”) to facilitate the work of the Steering Committee. While Officers may participate in the activity of the working group(s), they may not hold an elected position in a working group. Officers will be responsible for the following: 

● Organizing General Meetings; 

● Organizing Steering Committee meetings; 

● Ensuring the minutes of General Meetings and meetings of the Steering Committee are taken, collected, and distributed; 

● Ensuring meeting details are distributed to all membership; 

● Maintaining inbox, should the need for a Project email account arise; 

● Maintaining a record of motions passed and proposals adopted; 

● Maintaining membership lists. 

Section IV – Minutes 

All meetings of the steering committee must be documented with minutes to be made available to all members on request. 

Section V – Agenda Items and Proposals 

Any member of the Project may motion to for the Steering Committee to take up an agenda item or proposal, with a second, prior to or at the beginning of the meeting. It must be adopted by a simple majority of the Committee members present. 

Only Project members may submit agenda items or proposals at Steering Committee meetings. Proposals should be made in writing and distributed to members in advance of the meeting. 

ARTICLE V – Working Groups 

Section I 

The charge for each Working Group shall be approved by the members at a General Meeting of the Project. Any Project member may motion to create a new Working Group at any time, with a second. 

ARTICLE VI – Rules of Order

Section I 

The Project shall be governed by the rules contained in the current edition of Democratic Rules of Order. 

ARTICLE VII – Amendments 

Section I 

Any member of the Project will be able to present and debate proposed alterations and amendments to these bylaws. Amendments to the bylaws may only be proposed at General Meetings; they may not be voted on during the same meeting. At the following General Meeting, 

Votes for alterations and amendments to bylaws require a 60% majority of membership present. 

If an amendment is proposed at a General Meeting, it may not be voted on during the same meeting.