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I am going to try to explain a little about our union dues. I will base everything on the salary of a top step (Step 6) firefighter, with a monthly salary of $5203.39.
The total union dues (total deduction) from your check is $128.52. Where does all the money go? I will try to break it down for you.
Your actual union dues are 1.3% of your salary, which is $67.64. Along with that amount, you also pay building association dues that are 0.12% or $6.18, long term disability insurance that it $27.58, short term disability insurance that is $22.98, and accidental death and dismemberment insurance that is $4.14. Prior to my joining the union, they negotiated a 1% pay raise for LEOFF2 members to cover the added cost of the long and short term insurance. If you add all these amounts together they will add up to $128.52.
Out of your union dues, $67.64, the union is required to pay per capita to belong to the following organizations; International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) $9.95, Washington State Council of Firefighters (WSCFF) $13.03, Washington State Labor Council (WSLC) $0.85, and Pierce County Central Labor Council (PCCLC) $0.50. After paying per capita, the union is left with $43.32. With the amount that is left after paying per capita, the rest goes to pay for salaries, benefits, office expenses, contributions, and other expenses that are required to run the office and the local.
There are also member elected deductions that also come out of your dues. I elect to give money to the Fire Buffs, and that adds to the total amount of my union deduction. There also may be assessments, or when we sold bricks for the memorial, etc. that can also be added to your dues.
I hope this helps you to better understand where your dues are going. I am going to try and sit down with Bruce in the future to get a better understanding of what the day-to-day expenses are and hopefully be able to expand on this topic. I may possibly write a part 2.
I have added the Dues Breakdown document to the downloads page, which has all the different pay grades included for those members that are interested.
Dean
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