News Staff
ICA Membership No Longer Has Vote on Merger

New Bylaws Have Already Removed the Membership Provision Related to Merger

As the deadline for the historic vote to abandon the Constitution of the International Chiropractors Association (ICA) nears, members are growing increasingly worried about the impending merger possibilities given the changes the Board made to the Bylaws that already removed the required 2/3 majority of the membership in order for merger to be considered. As it stands now, all that would be required for the ICA to merge with the American Chiropractic Association (ACA) is a 2/3 vote of the Board with the membership completely cut out of the decision.   

Given the ease with which the ICA Board has gutted the democratic voting rights of the membership and given the ties that the ICA leadership has to the ACA and ACA affiliated organizations (including membership in these ACA organizations), the vote to merge with the ACA would be a slam dunk.

As news of the removal of the membership's vote on merger has spread, the ICA leadership has scrambled to find a way to deny that this would happen. The latest attempt is in a letter to members where ICA's President and the mastermind behind the new Bylaws and removal of the ICA's Constitution, Stephen Welsh DC, tries to walk the merger fear back. The letter states it was "a drafting omission" and that the board will add it back in when they come up with their new Governance policies. 

The membership does not appear to be buying in to Welsh's sleight of hand.

Dozens of ICA members have been posting pictures of their ballots on social media marking "NO" prominently on it as fears rise that ballots will not be counted or will be manipulated. Meanwhile the ICA has been using membership dues to send out letters and post cards urging members to support the Board's proposed changes that remove members' rights to vote on key issues such as merger.

CLICK HERE to read more about the ICA Crisis

McCoy Press