UNITED NATIONS STAFF UNION
BE INFORMED, GET INVOLVED!
Who we are
Legal basis
The establishment of the Staff Union dates back to
1952 when the GA, in its resolution 590(VI)
established a Staff Council, elected by the staff
for the purpose of ensuring continuous contact
between the staff and the Secretary General.
The Council was “entitled to make proposals to
the Secretary-General for improvements in the
situation of staff members, both as regards their
conditions of work and their general conditions
of life”.
GA resolution 128 (II) – Trade Union Rights
(Freedom of association)
• Resolution was adopted on 17 November 1947
• Considers that the inalienable right of trade
union freedom of association is, as well as other
social safeguards, essential to the improvement
of the standard of living of workers and to their
economic well-being.
• Endorses the principles mentioned in the
Constitution of the International Labour
Organisation and in the Declaration of
Philadelphia.
Membership
All Staff members assigned to the UN Secretariat
in New York are members of the Union.
Locally recruited staff members of secretariat field
missions are associate members, together with
staff members of UN Information Centers
throughout the world.
Composition of the UNSU
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Leadership
Executive Board
Staff Council (39 Units)
Staff-at Large (6000+)
We are federated with CCISUA
Leadership
President
Bibi Sherifa Khan (Ms.)
Room L-0303 Ex. 3-8485
First Vice-President
Patricia Nemeth (Ms.)
Room L-0305 Ex. 3-2134
Second Vice-President
Cristina Silva (Ms.)
Room L-0304 Ex. 3-4637
Executive Board
Staff Council
Chairperson
Valentin Stancu (Mr.) Ex. 7-2124
Deputy Chairperson
Fred Doulton (Mr.) Ex. 3-4466
&
39 units
Elected by staff in units
One representative
One alternate representative
President (Principal Executive Officer)
1st Vice-President (Second Principal Officer)
2nd Vice-President (Third Principal Officer)
Elected by universal ballot
Secretary (First Officer)
& Assistant Secretary
Treasurer (Second Officer)
& Assistant Treasurer
Rapporteur (Third Officer)
& Assistant Rapporteur
Elected by the Staff Council
Staff-at-large
Unit Chairpersons
• Each electoral Unit shall elect a
Chairperson and such other officers as it
may deem necessary whose term in office
shall coincide with members of the
Council.
• They can call for units meetings on behalf
of the Staff Representatives for their units.
• Responsible for Election of Polling Officers
• UNSU Statute
Polling Officers
• Polling Officers conduct all elections and byelections of the Staff Union according to the
Statutes.
• There shall be a maximum of twelve Polling
Officers. If the number of Polling Officers falls
below eight, the Unit Chairpersons shall be
convened by the Chairperson of the Council for
the purpose of filling vacancies.
• UNSU Statute
Arbitration Committee
• In order to increase accountability of elected
Union officials, the Arbitration Committee is
established to review alleged violations of the
Statute of the Staff Union and decide on
sanctions where warranted.
• Rulings of the Arbitration Committee shall be
binding on all bodies of the Staff Union.
• The Arbitration Committee shall be composed of
five members elected by the Union membership
in an election conducted by the Polling Officers.
CCISUA
• Coordinating Committee of International Staff
Unions and Associations of the United Nations
System (ccisua.org)
• Only through Federations we attend UN common
system bodies, such as ICSC (International Civil
Service Commission)
• Mainly composed by UN Secretariat Unions
• Currently presided by President of UNOG Staff
Coordinating Council (Geneva)
• Membership of General Federation of Trade Unions
allows us to provide training to staff reps
What we do
• We participate in policy formulation
regarding human resources issues
• Represent staff adversely affected by
administrative decisions
• Ensure the fair application and
enforcement of staff rules and regulations
• Keep staff informed of any new
development affecting their conditions of
work
Whom do we interact with
• The administration – Staff Union via the Joint
Negotiations Committee (JNC) for NY issues,
and via the newly created Staff Management
Committee (SMC) for system-wide issues
• When invited, with the General Assembly and its
Committees (Fifth, ACABQ and the Sixth) – Staff
Union as member of CCISUA
• Other bodies and staff representative bodies
(ICSC, Human Resources Network, Pension
Board) – sometimes Staff Union individually, and
sometimes via CCISUA
Funding
• All our activities are self funded, this is
why we need your contribution.
• You can receive the contribution form by
email or download it from our website.
• If you decide to contribute, we ask you to
respect the suggested minimum donations
which are printed on the form, keeping in
mind that the minimum required as set by
the Council is $5.00/month
• Contributing financially allows for access
to the special services we offer - such as
access to our legal advisor for specific
cases, or membership to the Hyatt Legal
Plan - you will be required to be a dues
paying member
• To hold office in the Staff Union (staff reps
and all elected officials, including staff
nominated to various boards) are required
to be dues-paying members
Where to go if you have a problem
• First talk with your representative, who will
either be able to solve the issue, or bring it
up with the leadership if necessary.
• If you don’t know your staff representative,
call our office or go to website for the list.
• If you don’t have a representative, you can
contact our office directly.
Where we are
• Office of the United Nations Staff Union
UNHQ Secretariat
Library Building 3rd Floor L-0300
• 212-963-7075
• www.u-seek.org
• https://www.facebook.com/UNSUNY
Your responsibilities
• Find out who your staff representative is.
If there is none, become one.
• Represent yourself and your co-workers
first and foremost.
• Read the staff regulations and rules from
cover to cover.
Staff Council Meetings
• Are open to all Staff.
• Normally every Thursday from 1.15-2.30
(except when in recess during summer)
• You can contact our office or your
representative to find out the venue of
meetings.
UNITED NATIONS STAFF UNION
BE INFORMED, GET INVOLVED!
MAKE A DIFFERENCE