It costs you 700 now and it costs them an unknown amount in the future. They just don’t like it because they suspect it’ll be quite a lot more than the 700 that you’re paying to join. They’re right too.
But union dues are annoying in the moment, because when it happens all you see is a reduction in your pay and initially no change in working conditions. That’s why they have posters like that up, because even though intellectually people understand that being in a union will long-term result in better pay, in the short term it does effectively result in a temporary pay cut, which can be hard if you’re already not really very well paid.
If you’re joining an established union sometimes they will be smart and not charge members until they’ve renegotiated their salaries. But that only happens if you’re joining a already formed union.
Lots of jobs that need unions are jobs that people don’t want to be working in a few years, because they’re terrible jobs with minimal benefits and shit pay. Those people can’t see that the reason the job is so shitty is because there isn’t a union. There’s a good chance that they’d actually want to stay with the job once the union transforms the working conditions and compensation.
Lots of people would be satisfied with a career in a “lesser” job like retail if the job didn’t suck. There’s nothing wrong with being a cashier, cook, custodian, phone attendant, etc for your whole working life if that’s what you want to do, and we should compensate people in those jobs accordingly.
No it’ll cost you, it comes out of your after tax wage. But it’s an investment into you and your colleagues futures for better wages, stronger protections and benefits.
What do you mean, “get them back”? Do you mean, “pay less tax by listing them as an expense”? Because you still have to pay for them, just not as much.
Yes you pay less tax up to a yearly cap. The yearly cap for 2025 and 2026 is 1100 dollars. So if I was in the Union listed in the image here and had to pay 700 dollars then I would list it on my tax form and pay 700 dollars less on my taxes that year.
I think it’s word choice that caused confusion here. In the US at least, “deduction” means you don’t have to pay taxes on it, not that you get back the full amount that you paid. What you’re talking about would be called a tax credit.
Also if the company refuses and hires scabs you can always put the money towards hiring union enforcers. Mind you we aren’t quite there again but I don’t we’re too far off either, showing up to a scabs home at 2AM to have a nice talk or ambushing the boss on his way home. The glory days may be long gone but I hope to see new glory forged.
What really works is when unions start being powerful enough to dictate governmental policy. That’s when things really improve. Of course the millionaires and billionaires will complain about interference, because it’s only good when they do it.
It cost them 700, not you. You will gain from an Union
It costs you 700 now and it costs them an unknown amount in the future. They just don’t like it because they suspect it’ll be quite a lot more than the 700 that you’re paying to join. They’re right too.
But union dues are annoying in the moment, because when it happens all you see is a reduction in your pay and initially no change in working conditions. That’s why they have posters like that up, because even though intellectually people understand that being in a union will long-term result in better pay, in the short term it does effectively result in a temporary pay cut, which can be hard if you’re already not really very well paid.
If you’re joining an established union sometimes they will be smart and not charge members until they’ve renegotiated their salaries. But that only happens if you’re joining a already formed union.
Lots of jobs that need unions are jobs that people don’t want to be working in a few years, because they’re terrible jobs with minimal benefits and shit pay. Those people can’t see that the reason the job is so shitty is because there isn’t a union. There’s a good chance that they’d actually want to stay with the job once the union transforms the working conditions and compensation.
Lots of people would be satisfied with a career in a “lesser” job like retail if the job didn’t suck. There’s nothing wrong with being a cashier, cook, custodian, phone attendant, etc for your whole working life if that’s what you want to do, and we should compensate people in those jobs accordingly.
No it’ll cost you, it comes out of your after tax wage. But it’s an investment into you and your colleagues futures for better wages, stronger protections and benefits.
In my country you can get union dues back as a tax deduction.
What do you mean, “get them back”? Do you mean, “pay less tax by listing them as an expense”? Because you still have to pay for them, just not as much.
Yes you pay less tax up to a yearly cap. The yearly cap for 2025 and 2026 is 1100 dollars. So if I was in the Union listed in the image here and had to pay 700 dollars then I would list it on my tax form and pay 700 dollars less on my taxes that year.
I think it’s word choice that caused confusion here. In the US at least, “deduction” means you don’t have to pay taxes on it, not that you get back the full amount that you paid. What you’re talking about would be called a tax credit.
I didn’t know that. That feels like something this administration will cancel on a random Thursday…
what is this utopia?
The protections are key here. I’d take a slightly lower wage for a healthy work environment any day, and I know that most people agree.
Also if the company refuses and hires scabs you can always put the money towards hiring union enforcers. Mind you we aren’t quite there again but I don’t we’re too far off either, showing up to a scabs home at 2AM to have a nice talk or ambushing the boss on his way home. The glory days may be long gone but I hope to see new glory forged.
What really works is when unions start being powerful enough to dictate governmental policy. That’s when things really improve. Of course the millionaires and billionaires will complain about interference, because it’s only good when they do it.
It comes out of their pocket because unions tend to negotiate for better pay
Your choice of articles makes me think you pronounce union like onion
Not to mention that you’ll likely get pay rises worth more than what is paid in dues.