Free template
Union meeting minutes template
A two-page minutes template for membership and executive board meetings. Type into the fillable PDF, or edit the Word file to fit your union's order of business.
What's on the template
| Part | What goes in it |
|---|---|
| The meeting | Union or local, date, type of meeting (membership, executive board, committee or special), location, the time it was called to order, the presiding officer and the recording secretary |
| Attendance | Officers present and absent, the number of members present, the quorum your bylaws require, and whether a quorum was present |
| Minutes of the last meeting | Whether they were approved as written, approved as corrected, or held, plus any corrections |
| Reports | The treasurer's report (balance, income and spending), officers' reports and committee reports |
| Motions (page 2) | Six rows for each motion's exact wording, who moved and seconded it, and the result with the vote count |
| Business (page 2) | Unfinished business, new business, and good and welfare |
| Adjournment (page 2) | The next meeting, the time the meeting adjourned, the recording secretary's signature, and the date the minutes are approved |
Tips for the recording secretary
- Record decisions, not debate. Minutes say what the meeting did. Who argued what usually stays out.
- Write motions word for word. Read the motion back before the vote if you're not sure, and note who made and seconded it.
- Note the quorum. Votes taken without a quorum aren't valid, so the minutes should show one was there.
- Record vote counts when there are any. For a voice vote, “adopted” is enough. For a counted vote, write the numbers.
- Write them up within a day or two. Your notes make the most sense while the meeting is fresh.
- Get them approved at the next meeting. Approved minutes are the union's official record. Keep them where the next secretary can find them.
Running the meeting itself
The template follows the order of business most unions use. For how motions, votes and points of order work, keep our freeRobert's Rules cheat sheet at the head table.
Keeping minutes in LaborWise
Docs & files keeps every set of minutes, your bylaws and your reports in one place the next secretary can find. The shared calendar holds your meeting dates, and member email sends the meeting notice straight from your roster.
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