WASHINGTON -- The recent decision by ASTA's board to seek
significant member input before drafting a new proposal to
restructure the Society's operations has been welcomed by critics,
but it appears there is still potential for controversy.
"If they do what they say they are going to do, and allow enough
time [for comments], then I don't see where there would be a
problem," said Phil Davidoff, a former ASTA president and part of
the Concerned ASTA Member Coalition. The coalition includes present
and past ASTA leaders who opposed and helped defeat a restructuring
proposal that was put to a membership vote in March.
"There was never any issue that change needed to be done," said
ASTA director Linda Rawlings, another coalition member. "But it
needs to come from members, the people who pay the dues."
The earlier proposal called for a restructuring of the board of
directors and a reduction in the number of ASTA chapters. It was
rejected by a vote of 855 (61%) to 539 (39%).
"They were lumped together and it was all or nothing," said
William Maloney, ASTA staff executive vice president and chief
operating officer. "A lot of people felt strongly about different
issues. It got confusing and it was defeated."
This time, ASTA is addressing issues one at a time.
First, the membership will vote on a bylaws change that would
add two members at large to ASTA's board, drawn from ASTA's
Corporate Advisory Council (CAC), a group representing large
agencies such as American Express, Carlson Wagonlit, Rosenbluth,
Uniglobe and Vacation.com.
The vote could come in several weeks Maloney said.
Meanwhile, ASTA has put together a committee, that includes at
least two members of coalition, to seek membership input at
upcoming regional meetings on "reorganizing" or reducing the number
of ASTA chapters. The first regional will be in Tucson, Ariz. on
April 10.
Davidoff said if the membership had a greater voice in shaping
the first referendum, "we wouldn't have had a problem to begin
with. There would have been adequate opportunity for input and the
questions that we asked during our campaign [against] the
referendum, would have been addressed and answered."
Eric Ardolino, a former ASTA board member and a member of the
coalition, said, "Clearly, everything should go out to the
membership. We should go out to the membership and ask their
opinion," and not "just throw a referendum out there."
But even with the input from the membership, it appears there
will still be room for controversy as ASTA seeks to reorganize.
For instance, on the question of reducing or reorganizing the
chapters, Davidoff said, "The bylaws state that chapter boundaries
can be adjusted through a petition by the chapters. So it has to
come from the chapters."
Maloney disagreed, and quoted the following from the bylaws:
"The board may create and dissolve ASTA chapters, designate their
names and determine all chapter rights, privileges and powers." In
Maloney's view, "It's pretty clear."
And while ASTA's leaders believe in the need to have the mega
agencies and consortiums on the board, Rawlings predicted that the
referendum for adding CAC members to the board would be a tough
sell.
"This is going to be the same battle all over again," she said.
"It really is as if we are at a crossroads."
Rawlings said she is concerned that by appointing CAC members to
the ASTA board, "we are going to become the shield for the megas
and the consortiums."
Meanwhile, Maloney seemed resigned to dealing with what promises
to challenging times ahead.
"I wish we would spend as much effort on external things as we
do on internal things," Maloney said. "But people feel passionate
about their own backyards."