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Dues Department
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Paying Your Dues
The most important things you can know about your Union membership are the facts about paying dues. Ultimately, it is your responsibility to pay your Union dues. The company takes dues out of your paychecks, not the Local. Most companies remit dues to the Local on a monthly basis. For example, dues for December will not be received at the Local’s Baltimore office until sometime in January. This is a key factor when discussing dues questions with you when you call.
Members sometimes fall behind when they go on vacation or are out sick. Some companies will take out double dues the week before or after a paid vacation, some will not. Members are responsible for paying dues for vacations and any time they are out of work and receiving benefits. If you keep this information in mind, you have less of a chance of developing a delinquent account.
What happens when you become delinquent? A dues delinquency may be handled in a few different ways. The best method is to notify the Dues Department when you are going out on any type of leave or to call after you return and verify that dues have been remitted to the Local. By calling to notify the Local, you have opened up a new option to yourself. You may pay your dues during the period of time you are out or opt to have the amount deducted from your paycheck once you return to work. Delinquent dues will be deducted automatically from your paycheck should you fail to pay them yourself.
According to the International’s guidelines, if members work one day in a given month they are responsible for their dues for that month. When members go out on an unpaid leave of absence, they are not responsible for dues since they do not receive any benefits. When they return to work they must fill out a new membership application, per the International’s directive. If members are out of work and receiving health and welfare benefits (even on Worker’s Compensation) they are required to pay twice the current per capita rate per month. To help yourself, you should call the Dues Department and let them know when you are leaving and returning from a leave, whether sick, worker’s comp, or unpaid leave of absence. The Dues Department will then let you know the payment options open to you or send you a Withdrawal Card should you be eligible.
Please do not ask Shop Stewards, Union Representatives, or Store Managers about dues questions. For answers to any dues or initiation fee questions, please direct your calls to the Local 27 Dues Department at 410-337-2700 or 800-338-UFCW on Monday through Friday, 8:30a.m. to 4:30p.m.