The whiner does have a valid point. IMO seasonal help should not be required to pay union dues, let alone an initiation fee, and those that do and are not kept on after Peak should be entitled to a refund of any dues or initiation fees paid.
Why anyone would wait nearly a year before asking this question is beyond me.
I disagreed with this post (again, as we rehash this annually) because these employees are working in a union shop, making a union negotiated wage, alongside other union employees.
With this in mind, they should pay monthly dues while they are working.
Where I agree, is in regards to the initiation fee.
To me, the term initiation fee implies new membership and these employees have no chance of achieving this.
In my local, they almost have it right where they take an initiation fee from any new employee, but will refund them their money if they don't work 30 days.
This tends to be a well guarded secret by both the local and the company, as the local wants the money and company doesn't want their temporary worker quitting on the 29th day.
I tell anybody who will listen, but inevitably hear tales of sour grapes annually when it's too late.
If it were to be completely fair, the local would refund anybody who doesn't achieve seniority their initiation fee as they really never joined the union.
