A. B. C. D. E. F.
GM 1 Ford 1 Chrysler 1 Toyota 2 Honda 2 US Natl. Avg.
(2004)
3
Annual Union Dues
per Employee
$952.32 $693.12 $699.60 Nonunion Nonunion $377

Read commentary on these numbers from the Associated Press and the United Auto Workers (UAW)


Sources and Notes

  1. The United Auto Workers (UAW) union wrote the following on a page titled "Dues" on their website at www.uaw.org/about/works/dues.html (accessed Jan. 12, 2009):

    "UAW members pay monthly dues equal to two hours pay or, for salaried workers, 1.15% of their monthly salary. Public employees who are prohibited by law from striking are not required to pay into the UAW Strike Fund, so they could pay proportionally lower dues.

    The UAW's current dues structure was established by the delegates to the 1967 Special Convention. In restructuring the UAW's dues program, the delegates had two basic objectives. First, they wanted a dues structure that would be fair to all UAW members regardless of their annual incomes. Second, they were determined to provide for the long-term financial health of UAW locals and the International Union with a dues structure that wouldn't have to be changed every few years. Their solution--linking dues to earnings--satisfied both objectives."

    Jan. 12, 2009 - United Auto Workers (UAW)

    [Editor's Note: ProCon.org estimated UAW's annual dues by multiplying the average hourly wage of each auto company employee by two (two hours pay per month), then multiplying that number by 12 (12 months).]


  2. Jeff Karoub, Associated Press Writer, wrote in a Mar. 31, 2007 Japan Times article titled "Unions Get No Traction at Japanese U.S. Carmakers":

    "Leaders of the United Auto Workers union said recently that they want to organize employees at the U.S. operations of foreign automakers and their suppliers. But labor experts question whether they'll be successful, saying decent wages, factory location and some subtle screening all enable the foreign carmakers to remain union-free.

    'A union has a difficult time convincing others to join when workers already get what they perceive to be really good benefits and pay,' said Steven Szakaly, an economist with the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich...

    Toyota and Honda representatives say they've done little to keep unions at bay and insist their employees simply choose not to form unions. But the timing of their arrival and even the locations they choose has helped.

    Assembly plants for Japanese automakers first started appearing in the United States in the 1980s, about 50 years after a 'tidal wave' of labor organization swept through U.S. plants, said Greg Saltzman, a labor researcher at the University of Michigan.

    Japanese automakers tend to avoid union-friendly areas like Detroit, Saltzman noted...

    Many build factories in areas that already have a low average wage for the labor market, Saltzman said. That means factory pay looks great regardless of whether it approaches union standards."

    Mar. 31, 2007 - Jeff Karoub

  3. Mark Brenner, PhD, Director of Labor Notes, noted average dues amounts in a LaborNotes.org article titled "Give Your Union a Dues Checkup" (accessed Jan. 12, 2009):


    "Table 1 - Average [Annual] Dues and Due Growth
    Union Average dues per
    member $ 2004
    Real dues growth %
    2000-2004
    NEA* 281 4.3
    SEIU 405 16.7
    UFCW 399 12.3
    AFSCME** 269 17.1
    IBT 490 18.6
    UNITE-HERE 380 4.8
    AFT* 236 - 6.4
    LIUNA 647 - 8.1
    IBEW 688 4.6
    UAW 516 7.1
    IAM** 231 - 15.9
    CWA 396 15.6
    USWA** 210 - 7.1
    UBC** 271 - 16.4
    IUOE 830 10.2
    Total $377 - 8.4%

    * Includes members in states without public sector collective bargaining rights who only pay dues to the national organization.
    ** Includes retirees who pay much lower average dues than active members.


    Data from the Labor Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA) provide the only national picture of union dues in the country. Table 1 shows the average annual dues per member for the 15 largest unions in 2004 (the latest year with complete data)."

    Jan. 12, 2009 - Mark Brenner, PhD 



Commentary on UAW Union Dues

Ken Thomas, MA, Associated Press Writer, wrote in a Mar. 29, 2008 USA Today article titled "UAW Membership Drops Below 500,000":

"United Auto Workers union membership has fallen below 500,000 for the first time since World War II, reflecting the massive restructuring undertaken by Detroit's automakers.

The union maintained financial health in terms of assets, according to the report, despite a decline in membership and dues. UAW assets fell slightly to about $1.25 billion last year from $1.26 billion in 2006.

Union dues, meanwhile, fell to nearly $169 million in 2007 from $191 million the previous year. In 2004, for example, dues brought in about $206 million, records show.

[UAW President Ron] Gettelfinger saw a slight increase in salary in 2007, from $145,125 in 2006 to $150,763 last year."

Mar. 29, 2008 - Ken Thomas, MA



The United Auto Workers (UAW) noted on a website page titled "UAW Dues at Work" at www.uaw.org (accessed Jan. 12, 2009):


"The UAW Constitution explains how your dues are normally divided with 38% staying in the local union, 30% going to the strike fund, and 32% going to the International Union. As long as the strike fund remains over $500 million, locals get a rebate from the strike fund that brings their share to 48% and the International gets a rebate that brings its share to 37%. If the strike fund should drop below $500 million, the rebates would end until the strike fund was rebuilt to $550 million. In late 2000 the UAW strike fund was about $800 million."

Jan. 12, 2009 - United Auto Workers (UAW)