-By Warner Todd Huston
What is your concept of a union dues payment? Is it a single, democratic fee paid at the same rate for all members, a payment that ensures the equal treatment of all union members? If so, you’d be wrong if you were an SEIU member. Because, for the SEIU, your dues are not a single standard payment for all your members, but it is a payment calculated on how much you make… just like income taxes are.
According to a blog about the nursing profession the SEIU district 1199 is violating one of the most dearly help ideals of any union; that it is interested in “equal treatment” for all.
I obtained this information from the SEIU 1199 website. See http://ltc.seiu1199.org/HCFaq.aspx.
Dues in SEIU District 1199 are 1.75% of gross pay, or $1.75 for every $100 you make.
So for every $1,000.00 grossed, the dues will be $17.50. I have several clients who are Ohio IPs and these nurses can gross from $50,000 to $80,000.00 a year or more.
An Ohio IP Nurse with SEIU labor representation who grosses $50,000 year may pay $875.00 a year for labor dues. This is speculative at this point but based on the figure provided on the SEIU 1199 website, which doesn’t mention a cap.
So, does the higher dues paid by members who make more money assure them that they somehow get MORE services and representation by the union?
Um, no.
Do those nurses who make more money and have to pay more in dues get first consideration in union adjudications?
Certainly, no.
And, how could they? After all, a union is supposed to be working for ALL their members, not just the highest paid ones. If the union gave deferential treatment to their richest members, that would be just as wrong as if they ignored their highest paid members.
So, what reason could they possibly use to justify sticking a higher payment to their highest paid members? There is no greater benefit to the members… and aren’t the members what the union is there for in the first place?
This isn’t fair representation. It’s legalized theft.
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Warner Todd Huston’s thoughtful commentary, sometimes irreverent often historically based, is featured on many websites such as newsbusters.org, townhall.com, men’snewsdaily.com and americandaily.com among many, many others. Additionally, he has been a guest on several radio programs to discuss his opinion editorials and current events. He has also written for several history magazines and appears in the new book “Americans on Politics, Policy and Pop Culture” which can be purchased on amazon.com. He is also the owner and operator of publiusforum.com. Feel free to contact him with any comments or questions : EMAIL Warner Todd Huston