Counterpoint- “Going union means union dues, why should I have to pay to work here?”

I hear you!  I’ve long thought the idea of union dues were bullshit, and I’d like to keep 100% of my paycheck too, but here is the reality of the situation:  The company just stole your premiums and lead pay.  They just stole 5 to 10% of your pay, and they will find ways to steal more.  You will still do the project work, you will still be required to keep all your board operator certs and work the board, you will still train new employees, you will still be required to ‘step up’ and take on all the duties that used to be the leads' responsibility but they just aren't going to pay you for it anymore.  Very simply, they just stole 5 to 10% of your pay.  The WOA pays 1.45% in union dues with an annual cap that equates to about $90 a paycheck or $2,000-$2,800 a year.  I had $2,400 in premium pay last year, $3,100 in premiums the year before, I will make ZERO premiums next year because of the changes and we haven’t even begun to talk about the wage increases we’re definitely not going to get because we’re “overpaid compared to our peers”.

One more thing you should know about dues- you don't pay any until the first contract has been bargained with management then ratified by the union members. So if we bargain a contract and the results aren't "worth" 1.45% of your check, you vote against ratifying that contract. It doesn't matter if it takes 3 months or 2 years, you won't pay dues until we see the contract, know what we're paying for, and vote to approve it.

Why should you pay to work here?  Because it’s the lesser of two evils and it makes good economic sense. Pay 1.45% in dues to be protected and have a seat at the negotiation table or keep 100% of your ever diminishing paycheck and hope that management doesn't steal even more from your plate. The choice seems easy to me.