. . . The UNION didn't want the bonus (Christmas or signing), because they wanted the money put into our hourly wages so they could get more dues money. . .
Brown67,
Whenever Contract renewal time rolls around, some people always want a bonus, while others of us say that we would all be better off if the money was instead a raise permanently added to our base wage. This always leads to someone saying that the Teamsters want the money added to the base wage so they can get more dues out of us. At that point the discussion ends and everyone votes by secret ballot.
I'd just like everyone to know that while it's true that a raise in base wages triggers a raise in dues, the Teamsters, in fact, can raise your dues anytime they want, as much as they want. Not all that long ago, dues were only twice your hourly rate. Then the Teamsters raised it to two-and-a-half times your hourly rate. Then, still not satisfied, they raised it to three times your hourly rate. This is all in addition to the automatic dues increases that take place anytime you get a raise. These increases in the IBT Constitution's dues formula are minimums, meaning any Local is free to raise dues even further, and to levy additional fees as well, if they can get away with it. They can also use a different formula that causes some lower wage people to pay an even higher percentage rate than the rest of the barganing unit. This is all perfectly legal, because, like concessionary contracts, (some) people actually vote for them, and impose them on the rest of us. My point is the Teamsters have the power to raise your dues as much as they want, whenever they want, one way or the other, just so long as it doesn't trigger an all out membership revolt. Which it never seems to do.