Union dues amount different every week

[abc123]

Hi, to start out let me say that I'm a part time inside worker. I used to work in a right to work state and was not in the union. A few months ago I transferred to a different building in another state for educational reasons. This state isn't a right to work state, so I joined the union.

I thought that the union dues were 2x or 2.5x your hourly wage. My hourly wage is $10. My first week the dues were 22 dollars, the next few it was 20. Then it went to 5 and stayed there for a few more weeks. This week it's 6. What's going on here?

The only thing I can think of is that I don't usually work that many hours (at least 10 but usually no more than 20) because I'm just here for the school benefits and go home early often. Maybe the union lowers it if you don't work a lot of hours? Anyone have any ideas?

 

[Shifting Contents]

I have an idea. Move back to the right to work state.

 

[abc123]

Haha, I wish. On top of now having to pay union dues, I also lost my skilled dollar. So I got a pay cut, AND I have to pay out money. When the dues were 20, AND i was paying my $25 initiation fee($100 total) for a month, I was really struggling.

 

[over9five]

You could quit and get a non-union job. Think of all the money you'd save!

 

[abc123]

I created this thread asking why my dues are different every week. I get $3000 a year for college which I love and is why I'm here. I was simply noting that I took a pay cut when I moved. But thanks for your input, mod.

 

[over9five]

Just trying to help!

 

[brownIEman]

You could quit and get a non-union job. Think of all the money you'd save!

Not a bad thought, but before pulling that trigger, just keep in mind that in a non-union shop you will likely be required to actually work for a living...



I kid, I kid...

 

[abc123]

Should I have posted this in UPS Discussions? I don't seem to be getting the types of responses I was looking for... (although they are amusing)

 

[brownIEman]

Hi, to start out let me say that I'm a part time inside worker. I used to work in a right to work state and was not in the union. A few months ago I transferred to a different building in another state for educational reasons. This state isn't a right to work state, so I joined the union.

I thought that the union dues were 2x or 2.5x your hourly wage. My hourly wage is $10. My first week the dues were 22 dollars, the next few it was 20. Then it went to 5 and stayed there for a few more weeks. This week it's 6. What's going on here?

The only thing I can think of is that I don't usually work that many hours (at least 10 but usually no more than 20) because I'm just here for the school benefits and go home early often. Maybe the union lowers it if you don't work a lot of hours? Anyone have any ideas?

On a serious note - I am by no means an expert, but let me take a stab at it.
if your dues are 2.5X $10 per month, but are taken out weekly, you would owe 25/ month/4 weeks = 6.25 per week.
However, a month is not exactly 4 weeks, it is more like 4.34 weeks so 25/4.34=5.76 per week.

they may do some sort of catch up formula doing 5 for a few weeks then 6. If dues were taken out at 22 first week then 20, they may have mistakenly taken out the full dues every week, and are now making it up over time.

You should ask your supervisor to put in an inquiry to payroll and ask you steward/BA. Payroll will tell you what was requested to be witheld from you check, but they don't come up with the number, they just withold whatever amount the Union asks them to.

 

[abc123]

On a serious note - I am by no means an expert, but let me take a stab at it.
if your dues are 2.5X $10 per month, but are taken out weekly, you would owe 25/ month/4 weeks = 6.25 per week.
However, a month is not exactly 4 weeks, it is more like 4.34 weeks so 25/4.34=5.76 per week.

they may do some sort of catch up formula doing 5 for a few weeks then 6. If dues were taken out at 22 first week then 20, they may have mistakenly taken out the full dues every week, and are now making it up over time.

You should ask your supervisor to put in an inquiry to payroll and ask you steward/BA. Payroll will tell you what was requested to be witheld from you check, but they don't come up with the number, they just withold whatever amount the Union asks them to.

Oh wow, I thought the dues were 2.5x your hourly rate per WEEK. Now it makes since why they took out more the first few weeks. I transferred in May of this year. I didn't realize that I had to "join" the union, I thought they just enrollled me and started deducting. So it took them a few months for them to realize I was working there and have me to sign up. I'm guessing the first few weeks were back dues.

 

[hondo]

Abc, you need to call/email/write your Local Union dues department for the correct formula for your dues and the deduction schedule. Your first few regular dues payments may have been high because of a requirement to be paid up in advance. Something like that is good to know, so when you leave UPS and get a withdrawal card from the union, you can ask for a refund of those dues.
Having said that, $22/mo sounds about right. HERE, we have a minimum flat rate of $22 + $4(special assessment)=$26/mo, until your hourly rate reaches $11/hour. At that point the 2.5x formula starts.

 

[brownIEman]

Hondo, he was saying the 22 initial dues were being taken out per WEEK

 

[abc123]

Hondo, he was saying the 22 initial dues were being taken out per WEEK

*she

 

[Catatonic]

*she

Even better.

 

[hondo]

@BrownIEMan,
I kinda missed that, but it falls in line with what I said about getting the dues requirement and payment schedule for his/her Local. Definitely add up what's been paid for dues & initiation and make sure it is correct. The Local and UPS are not making up random amounts. This information is in writing somewhere, and Abc has the right to know it.
22 (dues) + 25 (init)= $45/week. Wow! Glad I'm not there. We've got a cap on what can be taken out per week, and lower initiation for part-time.

 

[abc123]

@BrownIEMan,
I kinda missed that, but it falls in line with what I said about getting the dues requirement and payment schedule for his/her Local. Definitely add up what's been paid for dues & initiation and make sure it is correct. The Local and UPS are not making up random amounts. This information is in writing somewhere, and Abc has the right to know it.
22 (dues) + 25 (init)= $45/week. Wow! Glad I'm not there. We've got a cap on what can be taken out per week, and lower initiation for part-time.

The $100 is the lower initiation fee. I think it's $250 for full timers.

 

[22.34life]

just think of it as back pay for all the time you rode for free.

 

[FAVREFAN]

I'm a long term part-timer. I usually pay anywhere from $15-$19 per week. This week they took out $35. lol. To answer the original posters question....it's whatever they feel like for that specific week.
The 2.5X rule screws part-timers. If a part-timer works 20 hrs and a fulltimer works 40 hrs, why is it 2.5 hrs for each? Shouldn't it be 1.5x for part-time and 3x for full-time? I get screwed every week. Whatever. Who cares about us part-timers right? Milk us dry.

 

[Catatonic]

Who cares about us part-timers right? Milk us dry.

I ... Oh, never mind!

 

[abc123]

I just found a letter that I got from the Teamsters when I joined. I didn't throughly read it(oops) so I missed this:

"The monthly union dues are 2.5 times your hourly rate, rounded up or down to the nearest dollar, plus one dollar ($1.00) assessment for the death benefit."

The first 3 weeks the $22, $21, and $20 were taken out in that order. Then it went down to either 5 or 6 dollars each week. So it appears that I am now paying the correct amount and I was paying more the first 3 weeks. I'm guessing those are back dues for the 3 months that I was working but wasn't in the union. If so, I'm okay with that, however it was really hitting me hard as it was being taken out along with the $25/week initiation fee.

On another note, I also don't understand why part time and full time both pay 2.5x. I know part-timers make less but we also work less hours. However, it still isn't that much, so I don't really care, I just don't understand it.