The resolution below was circulated at the alternative conference at the recent Pacific APA. If you would like to add your name to it, please email ljshrage at csupomona.edu (see here for updated signatures)
CALL for DEMOCRACY and SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY IN THE APA, PACIFIC
DIVISION
*Whereas the Pacific Division Executive Committee (PDEC) failed to inform APA members that the workers at their conference hotel for 2005 (the Westin St. Francis) had called for a boycott of the hotel months before the meeting,
*Whereas by not informing APA members about the hotel situation, the PDEC did not provide members the opportunity to give input to their officers about what the APA should do,
*Whereas the PDEC made its decision by conducting a secret survey of some select group of program participants, so that members generally do not know what information they provided to those surveyed or how the sample was defined,
*Whereas by not informing APA members in advance about the hotel situation, the PDEC did not allow members to make their own moral decision about whether to attend the meeting, or to plan appropriately about hotel and travel arrangements,
*Whereas the members of the PDEC failed to facilitate alternative meeting sites, leaving it to APA members to take on these tasks at the last moment, and to other philosophical societies to pay for alternative space,
*Whereas PDEC members have placed blame for their failures on those APA members who tried to inform members of the situation and help the organization make appropriate plans,
*Whereas the PDEC failed to move their annual business meeting on March 24 out of the boycotted hotel, after they were requested to do so, so that those members who are honoring the boycott could attend,
*Whereas the PDEC continued to hold the Division's annual elections of officers at this business meeting despite the fact that many APA members who were honoring the boycott could not attend,
*Whereas the PDEC at the annual business meeting would not allow those in attendance to raise their voices in dissent and has effectively has shielded itself from public criticism,
*Therefore, be it resolved that the election of officers held on March 24, 2005 be declared invalid and illegitimate,
*Be it also resolved that, as part of the annual audit of the APA and its divisions, the auditors investigate how the Pacific Division negotiates hotel contracts for its annual meetings in order to determine whether the officers are handling their responsibilities in a manner that best serves the organization,
*Be it further resolved that the officers of the Pacific Division be accountable for fostering democracy within the organization by holding genuine elections for its officers. This entails that the nominating committee announce to the members in advance of each election how nominations for offices can be submitted, and that the nominating committee nominate at least two people for each office.
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