An explanation of Agency Shop payers vs. CSEA dues-paying members.
When you get a job that is in a union-represented position, you are guaranteed union protections and representation by law. CSEA must represent you, whether you have officially "joined" the union, or not.
In New York State, we have a law that provides that the union will get an "Agency Shop Fee" -- that is, an amount equivalent to CSEA dues -- for every worker who is represented by the union.
What this means to you is that whether or not you sign a membership application to officially join the union, you have the same amount deducted regularly from your paycheck.
What this means to CSEA is that everyone pays for their union representation, not just those who have "signed up". There are no free riders.
Unfortunately, despite many attempts to educate workers about the difference, many people who pay the Agency Shop Fee don't realize that they are not full dues-paying CSEA members. This means they miss out
on several important benefits to being union members:
They do not have the opportunity to vote on their union contract. Contract votes are for union members in good standing only.
They do not have the opportunity to vote for their elected union officers. Because CSEA is a democratic, member-run union, this means they miss out on their ability to decide how their union is run.
They cannot take advantage of the union's many member-only benefits. While there are many contractual benefits that must be shared between members and agency fee payers, there are benefits outside the
contract that are offered exclusively for members only.
For these reasons, we encourage all workers to sign up as members. It's as simple as filling out a CSEA membership application, and it won't cost you a penny more? For a membership application, please
contact Barb at the union office at 328-5250.
|
|
