Cost of having a union
Being in a union can be expensive.
Union members have to pay:
- Union dues
- Additional fees the union charges
- Special "assessments" the union charges
- Fines (if you're found guilty of breaking union rules)
Several things influence how much you have to pay a union (or whether you have to pay anything at all):
1. Do you live in a "Right To Work" state?
Twenty-five states have laws saying workers cannot be forced to pay the unions that represents them:
Georgia
Louisiana
North Carolina
Tennessee
Wyoming
Florida
Kansas
Nevada
South Dakota
Wisconsin
Arkansas
Iowa
Nebraska
South Carolina
Virginia
Arizona
Indiana
Mississippi
Oklahoma
Utah
Alabama
Idaho
Michigan
North Dakota
Texas
If you work in one of these "Right To Work" states, you can't be forced to pay a union.
If you work in some other state, you almost certainly will be forced to pay.
2. Do you become a member of the union?
The law says workers CAN be forced to PAY a union (except in "Right To Work" states), but CAN'T be forced to JOIN a union.
When a union is voted in, all of the workers in the group are represented by the union. But that does not automatically make everyone a union member. To become a member, you have to fill out a union membership application form and pledge your loyalty to the union.
Union members pay full dues.
Workers who don't become members pay a "representation fee" or "agency fee" that sometimes is a little less than full dues, but often is the same.
3. How much does each level of the union charge?
Most unions have three levels in their organization:
The "International Union"
(which runs the union)
District or regional
union offices
Local unions
(where the members are)
Union members must pay all three levels, and each level charges a different amount.
Before deciding whether you want a union to represent you, it's important to know how much it might cost, and how each level of the union would spend the money you paid them.
