APFA — Structural Axes of Authority

The Core Design

APFA’s authority architecture is organized around a small number of constitutionally defined bodies. The model is intentionally compact: membership elects national officers and base leadership; base leadership composes the union’s voting board; and a smaller executive body acts between board sessions.

Axis 1: Membership → Elections → Union Authority

APFA’s primary legitimacy pipeline begins with the membership: members elect the national officers and elect base leadership that functions as the local governance and service layer.

Membership is the source of representational authority and officer legitimacy.
Base-level elections populate local leadership and establish the voting composition of the Board.
National elections populate executive leadership (the national officers).

This means APFA’s “local” layer is not merely operational — it directly shapes national governance because base presidents sit on the voting Board of Directors by design.

Axis 2: The Board of Directors as the Primary Governing Body

APFA identifies its Board of Directors (BOD) as the body “authorized and empowered” to take lawful action consistent with the Constitution to safeguard the union and member rights.

Composition is structurally significant: the Board consists of the four national officers plus each Base President.

Board composition: National President, National Vice President, National Secretary, National Treasurer, and each Base President.
Board function: Primary governing authority, including union-wide protective actions consistent with the Constitution.
Governance signal: Base presidents serve dual roles (local leadership + national governance votes).

Axis 3: The Executive Committee as the Operating Agent Between Board Sessions

APFA’s Executive Committee (EC) is defined as an agent acting “for and on behalf of” the voting Board of Directors, including interpretation of the Constitution subject to Board approval.

The EC consists of the national officers plus five ad hoc members.

Core EC membership: National President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer
Additional EC membership: Five (5) ad hoc members
Key role: Operational continuity and constitutional interpretation between Board actions (subject to Board oversight)

Axis 4: The Base Layer as Governance + Service Delivery

APFA maintains local representation at bases, including Base Presidents, Base Vice Presidents, and Base Council Representatives (BCRs), providing day-to-day member support and operational representation.

Base President / Vice President: Local leadership and representation
Base Council Representatives (BCRs): Member services and representational functions (e.g., investigations, grievances, operational support)
Authority linkage: Base Presidents also serve as voting members of the national Board of Directors

Axis 5: Departments, Chairs, and Regional Representatives

In addition to elected leadership, APFA describes national department chairs and regional representatives as part of its organizational structure, providing specialized operational capacity across the system.

National Department Chairs: Organize and oversee departmental/committee work established by the Constitution and/or Board authority.
Regional Representatives: Provide representational coverage and support functions across the membership (role definitions vary by policy/department assignment).

Structurally, these roles illustrate a “delegated capacity” layer: specialization and coverage expand without creating a separate constitutional authority center.

Structural Implications

Clear termination points: Governance authority concentrates in the Board; operational continuity concentrates in the Executive Committee.
Local-to-national coupling: Base Presidents are both local leaders and voting national governors, linking workplace realities directly into the union’s governing body.
Delegation without fragmentation: Chairs/representatives expand reach while remaining subordinate to the elected governance structure.