christycorr:

hermitsoul:

otwelections-unofficial:

Yesterday a candidate was removed from running in the OTW elections in a highly questionable way. We, the undersigned five candidates, regardless of our stances or platforms, would like to declare together that we condemn the treatment of this OTW volunteer, and the manner by which she was removed from the organization: without due process, consideration or respect.

• Nikisha Sanders was removed from her OTW position without the due process that all volunteers and staff have a right to (source).
• Despite Board’s claims, her position was considered staff by various committees, including Volunteers & Recruiting, Elections, and Development & Membership itself, where she served.
• Her dismissal from the OTW voided her candidacy — a decision made by the Board, which includes a member who is a candidate herself. This appears to be a severe conflict of interest that was never disclosed or openly discussed by the Board, and there are no public records of any attempts at mitigating its effect.
• The removal of Nikisha Sanders from the ballot now, after the elections process has already started, was ordered by the Board over the protests of the Elections team (source). This undermines the legitimacy, fairness and independence of these elections, and worries all of us, as candidates and as OTW volunteers.

We’d like to make a commitment that, whichever of us are elected, we will do everything in our power to introduce binding and strict policies for Board behavior, including rules governing confidentiality, conflicts of interest in personnel issues, and non-interference with the elections process. We understand that there are longstanding issues at play, both personal and organizational, but this must not prevent fair treatment or due process.

Signed:
Alex Tischer
Aline Carrão (LilyC)
Atiya Hakeem (Lady Oscar)
Katarina Harju (tinypinkmouse)
Matty Bowers

The fact that Board removed Sanders over the objections of Volcom, Elections, and Devmem – the committees directly involved in this situation – is troubling. 

I’ve had my issues with Sanders. Many, many issues. However, this situation was poorly handled. It’s one thing to remove someone from a position they are not suited for and another to interfere with the Elections process and purposely run someone you dislike out of the OTW. 

What happens the next time someone disagrees with Board? How many volunteers are watching this happen and wondering if they are next? Will Board run me out for daring to sign my name to this?

I’m running for Board because I’m tired of watching things like this happen. It’s time for Board to start being part of the solution, not part of the problem. 

signed, Matty Bowers

Sanders was literally one of the most visible people in the OTW right now, and no one hesitated to do this. Read her post with all the paper trail. Read the announcement on the Elections website. Think about the precedent this sets for OTW volunteers, if a last-minute legal loophole carries more weight than the established policy behind the written rules.

And please, please remember that the OTW Board changed the bylaws last month, allowing them to vote out any Board member by a two-thirds majority, “with or without cause.” I’m hopeful that this election can result in good people making it in—but they also need to stay in.

I used to volunteer with the OTW and I…don’t know how I feel about all of this. It certainly reads like folks were bound and determined to remove someone from the org and found a way to do it. 

My own issues with the OTW aside (I greatly enjoyed and was also greatly frustrated by stuff), this sort of maneuvering points to a sick system and that needs to change. Meaning well isn’t enough. Doing ‘good’ isn’t enough, you also have to be sustainable and as it is structured right now, it isn’t.

Announcement from OTW Board about 2015 Ballot | OTW Elections