valtuusto valtuustovaalit

Council elections

Who decides what kind of services and benefits the Professionals of Business and Technology offers? Who decides the membership fee? Who decides the direction of our community and the issues that are pursued on behalf of our members? Who selects the board members and directs the board’s work? These matters are decided by the council of delegates, which is the highest decision-making body of our trade union.

How can you influence the decisions and future of your trade union? By voting in the council elections!

Vote and do good! 2€ to charity for every vote

For every vote cast, we will donate EUR 2 to charity. Voters can make a donation to MIELI Mental Health Finland, Lasten liikunta ja tuki ry or Hope ry. After voting, you can choose the recipient of the donation in the eVaali system. The donation selection cannot be traced back to the voter.

Council Election Candidates

Find a list of all the candidates here.

You can find out more about the candidates in Tradenomi Magazine 1/23 or in our Election Compass.

General Information on the Council Election

The next council elections will be held in spring 2023, where new decision-makers for our trade union will be elected for a three-year term. Our council of delegates has a total of 35 members, to which 30 representatives are elected by an electronic election every three years. The proportional representation method is applied in the elections. Five student representatives are appointed by the Students of Business and Technology through a separate application procedure. You can find our current council of delegates here.

On this page, we will compile election schedules, instructions on running in the elections and voting, as well as information on how the candidates are featured on the trade union’s channels.

Voting instructions

The voting period starts on 5 May at 9 a.m. and ends on 16 May at 4 p.m. During this time, each eligible member can vote for their candidate in the eVaali system. Logging in to the system requires online bank credentials. Each eligible members has one vote.

Who can run for the elections and vote?

Every eligible member can run as a candidate in the council of delegates elections, act as a member of a voters’ association and vote.
Each eligible member has one vote in the elections.
The proportional representation method is applied in the elections.
Members who joined by 28 February 2023 are eligible for election, and all eligible members must have paid membership fees for the previous calendar years.
Student and pensioner members are not eligible for election, i.e. they cannot nominate themselves or vote.
Only voters’ associations can nominate candidates for elections.
Candidates can establish a new voters’ association or join an already established voters’ association.
Student members (5 members) to the council of delegates are appointed by the Students of Business and Technology through a separate application procedure. The application process for student members ended on 12 March 2023.

What does the council of delegates do?

A body wielding the ultimate decision-making power
30 members and 5 student members
confirms strategic policies, manages budgets and action plans and decides on membership fees
elects a chairperson and a vice-chairperson from among their number at the organization meeting (August 2023)
elects a board for the union at the organization meeting (August 2023)
directs the activities of the union’s board
elected every three years by electronic member elections
the proportional representation method is applied in the elections
student members to the council of delegates are chosen by the Students of Business and Technology
three-year term, meetings are typically held twice a year

Important dates for the council elections

8 March the election board prepares an electoral register of members entitled to vote
9–16 March the electoral register is available at the Professionals of Business and Technology’s office
16 March the nomination of candidates for the elections begins
29 March the nomination of candidates ends
30 March candidate numbers are drawn
5 May at 9 a.m. voting time starts
16 May at 4 p.m. voting time ends
16 May, in the evening the election board confirms the election result
The organizational meeting of the new council of delegates takes place in August 2023.

What does working in the council of delegates mean and why is it worth your time?

As a delegate, you can learn more about our operations, working life phenomena, negotiation activities and issues related to the university of applied sciences sector and education. You get to influence our policies and goals, the services we offer, and membership fees. You also get to elect the union’s board members. At the same time, you can form new networks and gain experience in union activities and the field of employee organizations. The delegates receive a comprehensive orientation, and there are generally two meetings per year. Additional meetings are organized as needed.

“In the council of delegates, you get valuable experience of working in positions of trust and you get to decide on important issues. For example, the operational priorities are defined annually in the action plan.”

In our article, the Chairman of the Election Committee discusses the importance of council work, read more here! (article in Finnish)

In March, we will organize two webinars (in Finnish) for all of our members interested in the elections:

Running for the elections

Voters’ associations can nominate candidates for the council of delegates elections. A voters’ association can be established by three eligible members, and the members are free to choose the name of the association. Voters’ associations submit their notification of establishment to the election board, after which they can nominate as many candidates as they wish. Each candidate announces their candidacy through the eVaali system. A candidate can only be a member of one voters’ association. The nomination period is from 16 to 29 March 2023. Read more about the nomination of candidates here.

Candidate introductions

Candidates and voters’ associations are introduced in the candidate selection engine on our website and in the Tradenomi magazine. The collection of information starts immediately after the nomination process is over. We will publish more detailed schedules and instructions during the beginning of the year.

Nomination of candidates

Every eligible member can run as a candidate in the council of delegates elections if they

Have become a member by 28 February 2023.
Have paid their membership fees for previous years.
Student or pensioner members are not eligible for election. Student members of the council of delegates are appointed by the Students of Business and Technology based on a separate application.
The electoral register drawn up by the election board can be viewed at our office from 9 to 16 March 2023. Complaints regarding the register must be submitted by 23 March 2023. The election board confirms the electoral register on 24 March 2023.

How do I apply as a candidate?

Only voters’ associations can nominate candidates for the elections. A voters’ association can be established by three eligible members. Candidates can establish a new voters’ association or join an already established association. The proportional representation method is applied in the elections. Voters’ associations can establish electoral alliances or rings to promote election. A member can only be a candidate of one voters’ association. The nomination of candidates takes place from 16 March at 9 a.m. to 29 March at 4 p.m.

Nomination process

Create a group with two other members eligible for election and establish a voters’ association.
Give your voters’ association a name that best describes the group.
Establish a voters’ association and fill in the notification of establishment. (in Finnish)
If you establish an electoral alliance or ring with other voters’ associations, fill out the establishment form for that as well here (in Finnish).
If you are interested in joining an already established voters’ association, you can contact the voters’ association’s contact person.
Established voters’ associations are added to the eVaali system, and the contact person of each voters’ association will be notified.
The contact person of the voters’ association logs into the eVaali system through which they can invite candidates to join their voters’ association.
Candidates receive an email invitation to confirm their candidacy.
Candidates confirm their candidacy in the eVaali system.
Candidate numbers will be drawn on 30 March and the number is sent to each candidate by email.
The nomination of candidates starts on 16 March at 9 a.m. and ends on 29 March 2023 at 4 p.m. Voting takes place in the eVaali system on 5–16 May 2023. Each eligible member has one vote.

The candidates are introduced in the candidate selection engine and in the Tradenomi magazine. The information is collected through the candidate selection engine, and a link is sent to each candidate by email after the nomination period has ended.

Established voters’ associations

On this page, we will update, by the election board’s decision, the information of voters’ associations already established during the nomination period as soon as we receive the notifications of establishment.

In accordance with ou rules, an election board has been appointed to prepare and monitor the elections. The Chairman is Marko Pesu, and the Secretary is Mia Weckman, Director of Legal Affairs. All additional information requests and questions about the elections or the visibility of candidates on the union’s channels can be sent by email to: vaalit@tradenomi.fi