My COH Voice

What You’re Risking

Your Money

A union is a business with only one major source of revenue: the dues, other fees, special assessments and fines they charge their members. Paying union dues or fees is typically an unavoidable fact. The union will want to get its cut of your paycheck and is free to do what it wants with those funds without your approval. 

Here are some facts about UWUA dues and fees:

  • New members are required to pay a one-time initiation fee that can range from $2 up to $50, according to UWUA’s 2023 LM-2 (financial document).
  • According to the UWUA constitution, the base average dues amount for its members increases annually and is currently $89.05 per month.
  • Other UWUA-represented NiSource employees pay anywhere from $35 – $75 per month in union dues.

The union stands to gain a lot by organizing you and your fellow employees. With employees paying dues for every month, that money can really add up.

That’s what the organizing drive means to the union – money. But what would that mean to you? By entering some simple information, you can see what you might be giving the union over the life of a five-year contract.

Remember, even if the union wins, they can only get what our organization is willing to agree to in negotiations. Employees on the other hand, don’t get to negotiate the amount of union dues. The union sets that amount.

Dues Calculator

Estimated Monthly Union Dues

Complete the statements in this column and click calculate.

Enter your hourly rate:
$

$ Union Dues per Month.

That adds up to $ a year and $ over a typical 5-year contract!

And if, for example, 100 members paid what you pay in dues, a union stands to gain a whopping $ every year!

Over the life of a 5-year contract, the union could collect an estimated $ from you and the other members!

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