# Working Dues



## dnigra (Nov 11, 2015)

Hi All...getting my first union job.....not sure what working dues are, where they get paid to, and what they are for.


Thank you


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## don_resqcapt19 (Jul 18, 2010)

Those dues are normally a percentage of your gross and deducted from your check by the contractor and then the contractor pays they to the local. These dues fund the operation of your local.


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## Kunolop (Feb 9, 2013)

Working dues are the unions percentage or charge for finding you a job. This is the part of your career where you learn how the union is a money making machine that works under the not for profit umbrella! Not to be a hater as I was a union member for a decent amount of time, just the local (2085) I worked in as journeyman wanted $3800/year working the full year. Oh yeah but they are tax deductible, but CRA audits you every year because they can't even comprehend the dues deduction you entered on your annual return. I'm not entirely sure but I'm heard the dues were up from when I was a member too. Sounds great doesn't it?


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## Southeast Power (Jan 18, 2009)

Ours is 3% I just always thought of it as what I paid for my healthcare and retirement.
Its not really that but, if I didnt have that expense, I wouldn't have the benefits either


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## John Valdes (May 17, 2007)

Congratulations on getting in!


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## Bad Electrician (May 20, 2014)

don_resqcapt19 said:


> Those dues are normally a percentage of your gross and deducted from your check by the contractor and then the contractor pays they to the local. These dues fund the operation of your local.


In our local you can elect to have it deducted or pay yourself, at first many men did the self pay but now almost everyone does the deduct.

It is the price of working, and generally your pay is significantly higher than when you were open shop and it is just another expense.


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## Frank Mc (Nov 7, 2010)

Kunolop said:


> Working dues are the unions percentage or charge for finding you a job. This is the part of your career where you learn how the union is a money making machine that works under the not for profit umbrella! Not to be a hater as I was a union member for a decent amount of time, just the local (2085) I worked in as journeyman wanted $3800/year working the full year. Oh yeah but they are tax deductible, but CRA audits you every year because they can't even comprehend the dues deduction you entered on your annual return. I'm not entirely sure but I'm heard the dues were up from when I was a member too. Sounds great doesn't it?


WoW !!!!..$3800 / YEAR......Here in Melbourne Oz we pay approx $600 AUS per year for our dues ..which im more than happy to pay....Thought you guys in the US would be paying less than us...
Frank


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## CGW (Oct 14, 2014)

Kunolop said:


> Working dues are the unions percentage or charge for finding you a job. This is the part of your career where you learn how the union is a money making machine that works under the not for profit umbrella! Not to be a hater as I was a union member for a decent amount of time, just the local (2085) I worked in as journeyman wanted $3800/year working the full year. Oh yeah but they are tax deductible, but CRA audits you every year because they can't even comprehend the dues deduction you entered on your annual return. I'm not entirely sure but I'm heard the dues were up from when I was a member too. Sounds great doesn't it?


That seems high. I'm curious if that compares to what others are paying. :blink:

That's $950/quarter. Most are in the $60-75/quarter range.


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## ohiosparky99 (Nov 12, 2009)

Frank Mc said:


> WoW !!!!..$3800 / YEAR......Here in Melbourne Oz we pay approx $600 AUS per year for our dues ..which im more than happy to pay....Thought you guys in the US would be paying less than us... Frank


 are those your quarterly dues? Are those what you pay every 3 months? If so, those are your quarterly dues and goes to the international, working dues are 5% of your gross wages here


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## Frank Mc (Nov 7, 2010)

ohiosparky99 said:


> are those your quarterly dues? Are those what you pay every 3 months? If so, those are your quarterly dues and goes to the international, working dues are 5% of your gross wages here



No , they are our annual fee,s ... We only pay approx $600 AUS every 12 months..

Frank


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