Retroactive Union Initiation Fees and Dues?

J

jibbs

Guest
So I was forced to join the union after I made my 30 days in September 2012. I filled out the union paperwork, gave it to my supervisor and thought everything was good.

Today I looked at my paycheck and I'm being deducted an initiation fee to join a union that I was under the impression I had protection from and membership with dating all the way back to September when I completed my first 30 days.

I just did the math and, taking taxes into account, I'm only going to be able to utilize 53% of my paycheck this week. Less than $100.


I'm curious how my supervisor's going to respond when I tell him tomorrow that by Wednesday of next week I'll be unable to afford either gas to get to work or food to provide me energy for work. I realize that everybody's gotta go through the initiation fees and union dues but I never expected to be blindsided by retroactive deductions, fees, and what looks like increased taxes since I filed last week (might just be paranoid on the tax thing, though, lol).



I can see one of three things happening as a result of this and only one of them is a constructive/positive route of action, catch being that staying... err... productive.... is going to decrease my quality of life either through hunger or lack of mobility.



Huh, just realized there isn't really a question here. Maybe I should've blogged it or something... do we have blogs here? Hey! There's a question. Here's another one, I guess: Are union fees deducted once a month or every week?
 

ups hero

Well-Known Member
Ours used to be once a month. Now they are every paycheck. I like it better when they take it out every week than one big lump sum every month.
 
J

jibbs

Guest
See, I'd be cool with a smaller amount taken weekly, but I'm trying to figure out if I'm looking at a small weekly figure or a larger monthly one on my electronic pay stub....

All I do know is that the information I was told regarding union dues (2 hours of your rate of pay + $1) is definitely not what was (or is about to be) taken from me this week, and the amount is also incongruent to my rate of pay before I got the three month $1 raise, so right now I feel like everything else I've been told by my management is invalid, a falsehood. Whether or not that's actually true is irrelevant, it's just how I feel.
 

bleedinbrown58

That’s Craptacular
I started in october of 2008. After I made book, I filled out and submitted union paperwork to my steward. To this day, I've never paid a cent towards iniation fee nor my dues. I mentioned it to my steward several times over the years, but he never got back to me with a satisfactory answer. And truthfully, I can' t afford retroactive dues at the moment.
 
J

jibbs

Guest
Lol, I can't afford it either, mang, but I'll either be broke by midweek or I'll have my money make money for me, and I'm actually kind of depressed that I'm even thinking of that.

Well, ****.... looks like my fair day's work isn't getting a fair day's pay from last week. Guess I'll have to slow it down and work exactly by method until I'm being fairly compensated without feeling like I'm being robbed at the end of the week.

Tomorrow'll be a chill day, I suppose, regardless of how many packages are in the forecast. The week following it, as well. I see why a large portion of inside employees simply don't give a **** about quality of work so long as they're working as directed in order to retain their job.
 

Catatonic

Nine Lives
See, I'd be cool with a smaller amount taken weekly, but I'm trying to figure out if I'm looking at a small weekly figure or a larger monthly one on my electronic pay stub....

All I do know is that the information I was told regarding union dues (2 hours of your rate of pay + $1) is definitely not what was (or is about to be) taken from me this week, and the amount is also incongruent to my rate of pay before I got the three month $1 raise, so right now I feel like everything else I've been told by my management is invalid, a falsehood. Whether or not that's actually true is irrelevant, it's just how I feel.

Lesson 1 - Don't talk to UPS management about what the Teamsters do.

Lesson B - UPS does not make this decision, the Teamsters do.
The Teamsters submit a remittance to UPS Payroll who then, contractually, execute that remittance.
 

laffter

Well-Known Member
I was hired mid 2011. The only "paperwork" I did here was during the "trailing period". The steward met with us in our "classroom", and we signed and dated a little pink piece of paper. I have never paid any initiation fee. I pay $5.50 weekly, now, which is 50% of my hourly rate (I'm not entirely sure if that's how it's calculated).
 
J

jibbs

Guest
Lesson 1 - Don't talk to UPS management about what the Teamsters do.

Lesson B - UPS does not make this decision, the Teamsters do.
The Teamsters submit a remittance to UPS Payroll who then, contractually, execute that remittance.



I've definitely ingrained both of those lessons in my psyche long before today.

Management informed me of the union dues formula on the date I was hired, before I worked a single minute for UPS.

Also, while Teamsters are directly responsible, I feel my management is indirectly responsible for not moving the paperwork down the line in a timely fashion. Now, granted, I could be 100% wrong on that-- I just know that my managers, my supervisors are the face of UPS for me. My union steward doesn't know a gosh darn thing about the union (other than it's not HQ'ed in Baltimore) and the two times I've approached managers about union-related issues in the past they've pointed me in the direction of the most ignorant steward that's ever had the privilege to grace this Earth (either that or one that genuinely doesn't want to provide any helpful information to me for whatever reason(s) he may have).

My union knowledge comes from this forum and what I was told prior to my hiring date, but mainly from this forum. I don't broach the subject with my managers.



I'll definitely consider this a relearning of those lessons, though, even if I feel as though I hadn't broken the rules that they've taught me in the past.
 

Dragon

Package Center Manager
My union steward doesn't know a gosh darn thing about the union (other than it's not HQ'ed in Baltimore).....

LOL...meant no harm its just funny!
 

PiedmontSteward

RTW-4-Less
I've definitely ingrained both of those lessons in my psyche long before today.

Management informed me of the union dues formula on the date I was hired, before I worked a single minute for UPS.

Also, while Teamsters are directly responsible, I feel my management is indirectly responsible for not moving the paperwork down the line in a timely fashion. Now, granted, I could be 100% wrong on that-- I just know that my managers, my supervisors are the face of UPS for me. My union steward doesn't know a gosh darn thing about the union (other than it's not HQ'ed in Baltimore) and the two times I've approached managers about union-related issues in the past they've pointed me in the direction of the most ignorant steward that's ever had the privilege to grace this Earth (either that or one that genuinely doesn't want to provide any helpful information to me for whatever reason(s) he may have).

My union knowledge comes from this forum and what I was told prior to my hiring date, but mainly from this forum. I don't broach the subject with my managers.



I'll definitely consider this a relearning of those lessons, though, even if I feel as though I hadn't broken the rules that they've taught me in the past.

You should call your union hall and find out what's going on. You shouldn't be dealing with all this wonky bull**** from payroll, seeing as how you're not in a RTW state; being in a RTW state makes dues check off and confirming membership a nightmare. Also, consider going to your monthly membership meetings and meeting the other UPS stewards and your business agent.

If you need help getting in touch with your local, drop me a PM.
 
J

jibbs

Guest
I didn't find out why it took so long for dues and fees to start being taken out of my check but I found out that the amount taken won't be a weekly thing. Once a month, every second payday for me, and the dues (I was told) will only be taken out of four payperiods, the same amount each time until I'm caught up.

Separately the numbers seem legit, it's when they add up that it seems kind of overwhelming. Amazingly, though, my state refund came through between the time I checked my bank account at 3:45am and the time I got home around 9. So yeah, I'm a little more chilled out about the whole situation, and again, when I look at the numbers separately after what I was told today I don't think I'm being robbed, just severely inconvenienced.


Thanks for the offer Piedmont but I managed to finally learn all of what I should've sought to find out right when I started at UPS. I guess I just had to get a little pissed off to get the encouragement not accept any BS answers to my questions this morning.
 

PiedmontSteward

RTW-4-Less
I didn't find out why it took so long for dues and fees to start being taken out of my check but I found out that the amount taken won't be a weekly thing. Once a month, every second payday for me, and the dues (I was told) will only be taken out of four payperiods, the same amount each time until I'm caught up.

Separately the numbers seem legit, it's when they add up that it seems kind of overwhelming. Amazingly, though, my state refund came through between the time I checked my bank account at 3:45am and the time I got home around 9. So yeah, I'm a little more chilled out about the whole situation, and again, when I look at the numbers separately after what I was told today I don't think I'm being robbed, just severely inconvenienced.


Thanks for the offer Piedmont but I managed to finally learn all of what I should've sought to find out right when I started at UPS. I guess I just had to get a little pissed off to get the encouragement not accept any BS answers to my questions this morning.

Honestly, I have a problem with the non-RTW locals charging initiation fees of $150+ for newly hired UPS part-timers. If someone is fortunate enough to land a full time union job starting out at $16+/hour with great health care and a defined pension plan, then a $200 initiation fee is not unreasonable.

But for someone starting out at $8.50/hr without benefits for a year (18 months for their dependents), it's a joke. Coming in and slinging boxes for 4 hours a night and bringing home only $60-$80 a week after dues and initiation fees is ridiculous. My local waives initiation fees for part-timers -- mostly because it would make signing up new members even tougher than it is, but also because it's the right thing to do.

It's a substantial revenue generator but I wish more PT'ers in non-RTW locals would get together and get motions passed to waive or drastically reduce the initiation fees for PT UPS new hires.
 

moreluck

golden ticket member
Union Issue or UPS Discussion ?????

If you can't tell the difference you will never work for the public library system!!
 
J

jibbs

Guest
Union Issue or UPS Discussion ?????

If you can't tell the difference you will never work for the public library system!!

I actually didn't even think to post there. Would've definitely been more appropriate, though.

I'm open to it being moved, didn't intend to clutter up UPS Discussion.


I agree with you, Piedmont, it's bordering on an unreasonable demand/requirement but at least they weren't underhanded or sneaky about it. I was told in the beginning about all this, just not the manner in which the union would go about it... I guess I just didn't realize how slow the process is to begin paying initiation fees and dues. I'm assuming* it's because a large amount of PTers don't make it to their 30 days and a smaller but still large amount quit between their 30-day mark and their 1-year mark, so they don't want to waste time processing a new member that probability tells them likely won't stay on much longer.


*We all know what they say about assumptions, though.
 
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