I find it ironic how the apologists for this immoral Union practice are some of the most critical of UPS management when they use the authority of their position to dodge personal responsibility to treat others as they would wish to be treated.
I certainly don't agree with the practice of whacking helpers earning $8.50-$9.50/hour with an initiation fee and dues. But I ponder how many locals do this -- as I mentioned, mine assesses a one-time monthly dues fee (2.5 hours) for seasonal helpers, and they earn $12.88/hour here ($15 under the new contract). The one-time fee is assessed only when the helper works a certain threshold. Quite frankly, if the union was whacking helpers with $200+ initiation fees and dues, UPS would never find anyone willing to do the job, since higher wages could be earned elsewhere, thus I'm very skeptical.
What I find ironic are the people accepting seasonal jobs at UPS for $16.10 and $12.88 (or more, if retroactive pay is due) because they pay significantly more than what the competition's paying and then whine and cry about having the pay minimal dues / initiation (like I said, it's limited for seasonal in most places), even though they're still netting higher take-home pay. Talk about biting the hand that feeds you....