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Facts About Initiation Fees, Dues, Assessments, & Fines
Initiation Fees
The UMWA normally assessesa one-time initiation fee of $200.00. However, there will be NO initiation fee whatsoever for
you or your co-workers in this organizing campaign.
No Contract/No Dues
There will be no dues paid by anyone until after a contract has been negotiated and approved by a majority of you and
your co-workers.
Monthly dues are based on three (3) hours of the lowest hourly rate negotiated in your contract. Example: if $20.00 per
hour is the lowest hourly rate in the contract, dues will be $60.00 per month - or if $14.00 per hour is the lowest hourly
rate, dues are $42.00 per month.
Your dues dollars are divided into thirds, as follows:
1/3 stays in your own local union to finance the affairs of your local union.
2/3 goes to the International Union for contract enforcement, negotiation costs, organizing, health and safety, and to fund
the many other membership benefits outlined in the section entitled "Services of the UMWA."
Who Controls the Level of Dues? You, the Membership
Under federal law, dues can only be changed by a majority vote of the delegates voting at a regular convention. Under
the formula for dues, set by the UMWA membership at the convention (three times the lowest hourly rate), the only way
dues can be raised is when the lowest hourly rate is raised either through scheduled hourly raises in the contract or
through collective bargaining. Dues can only go up when the lowest hourly rate goes up.
Assessments
Members of the UMWA may be assessed one time per year by each subdivision of the Union (local and International), and
in each instance the assessment can only be levied by a vote of the elected executive board of the local or international
and shall not exceed $10.00 per assessment.
All members of the UMWA will be assessed $10.00 per year to fund our Union's political action committee.
How much can members be assessed each year? The most you could be assessed in any one year is $30.00
UMWA Constitution, Article 13:
Section 5. All initiation fees, dues and assessments shall be paid to the International Secretary Treasurer who shall
deposit all such payments in a Special Dues Receipts Account. On or before the 15th of each month, the International
Secretary Treasurer shall remit to each Local Union any initiation fees, dues or assessments collected during the
preceding month belonging to the Local Union.
Section 6. (a) No Local Union shall charge any other initiation fees or dues than those uniformly charged for membership
in the International Union as provided above. Special assessments of not more than $10.00 in any one year may be
levied by a Local Union where approved by majority vote of the members in good standing voting in a referendum by
secret ballot. (b) The International Union, by majority vote of the International Executive Board, may assess the working
membership to provide for sufficient funds, but not exceed the sum of $10.00 in any one year, for the posting of Bonds,
and the payment of Judgments resulting from litigation against the United Mine Workers of America.
Section 7. The Local Financial Secretary shall fill out and forward to the International Secretary Treasurer and
International District Vice President on or before the 25th of each month, a report of all members in good standing in the
Local Union the previous month, together with all dues and assessments due the International.
Section 8. Should it be proven that any Local Financial Secretary has failed to report monthly the full membership of their
Local to the International Secretary Treasurer and the full amount of dues on he same number of members that have paid
dues to the Local Union, together with the full amount of assessment due the International, the Local Union shall be
suspended from all privileges and benefits until the deficiency is made good, and the officer responsible for such failure
shall not be allowed to again hold office in the Union for a period of two years.
Section 9. (a) The International Union shall assess each working member $10.00 per year to carry out the objectives of
COMPAC. This assessment shall be payable in one installment. Money's collected shall be segregated according to
applicable state and federal law where necessary (b) Any member shall have the right to object to any of their dues
money being expended for activities or causes primarily political in nature. Objections must be made to the International
Secretary Treasurer by certified mail and shall be effective only for the following twelve months. At the end of that period
the International Secretary Treasurer shall remit to the objecting member that portion of their dues which has been spent
for such purposes as determined by the International Executive Board.
Section 10. Any member becoming four months in arrears for dues or assessments shall, upon proper notice given,
forfeit his/her membership and shall not be reinstated in good standing except upon such terms as the International
Executive Board shall prescribe; provided, however, that a member who has signed a dues check-off authorization shall
not be considered in arrears of dues because of the failure of the employer to check off and pay the dues until he/she
has been notified by the International Secretary Treasurer of the employer's failure.
Selective Strike Fund
The UMWA maintains and administers a strike fund to provide financial and health care assistance to our membership in
the event that they should have to strike an employer. Members of UMWA local unions that participate in the strike fund
are entitled to a weekly benefit and major medical coverage for the member and dependents. Benefits are paid only to
members of a striking local that participate in the strike and perform assigned strike-related duties (manning picket lines,
gate rallies, etc.). Benefits are paid for the duration of a strike. Members of participating locals are assessed no more
than 2.5% of their gross wage per pay period if the fund balance is below $75 million. The assessment falls to 1% of a
member's monthly gross when the fund balance reaches $100 million. The Selective Strike Fund now has well over $100
million and all major coal contracts have been ratified by the membership for the next 5 years.
Members of the UMWA have the right to charge, bring to trial, suspend from membership, and/or fine members found
guilty of defrauding or undermining the Union. Although rarely used, the membership of our Union feels very strongly
about our Union's ability to self-discipline and self-enforce the lawful rights of our members.
Next: The National Labor Relations Board Election
Initiation Fees
The UMWA normally assessesa one-time initiation fee of $200.00. However, there will be NO initiation fee whatsoever for
you or your co-workers in this organizing campaign.
No Contract/No Dues
There will be no dues paid by anyone until after a contract has been negotiated and approved by a majority of you and
your co-workers.
Monthly dues are based on three (3) hours of the lowest hourly rate negotiated in your contract. Example: if $20.00 per
hour is the lowest hourly rate in the contract, dues will be $60.00 per month - or if $14.00 per hour is the lowest hourly
rate, dues are $42.00 per month.
Your dues dollars are divided into thirds, as follows:
1/3 stays in your own local union to finance the affairs of your local union.
2/3 goes to the International Union for contract enforcement, negotiation costs, organizing, health and safety, and to fund
the many other membership benefits outlined in the section entitled "Services of the UMWA."
Who Controls the Level of Dues? You, the Membership
Under federal law, dues can only be changed by a majority vote of the delegates voting at a regular convention. Under
the formula for dues, set by the UMWA membership at the convention (three times the lowest hourly rate), the only way
dues can be raised is when the lowest hourly rate is raised either through scheduled hourly raises in the contract or
through collective bargaining. Dues can only go up when the lowest hourly rate goes up.
Assessments
Members of the UMWA may be assessed one time per year by each subdivision of the Union (local and International), and
in each instance the assessment can only be levied by a vote of the elected executive board of the local or international
and shall not exceed $10.00 per assessment.
All members of the UMWA will be assessed $10.00 per year to fund our Union's political action committee.
How much can members be assessed each year? The most you could be assessed in any one year is $30.00
UMWA Constitution, Article 13:
Section 5. All initiation fees, dues and assessments shall be paid to the International Secretary Treasurer who shall
deposit all such payments in a Special Dues Receipts Account. On or before the 15th of each month, the International
Secretary Treasurer shall remit to each Local Union any initiation fees, dues or assessments collected during the
preceding month belonging to the Local Union.
Section 6. (a) No Local Union shall charge any other initiation fees or dues than those uniformly charged for membership
in the International Union as provided above. Special assessments of not more than $10.00 in any one year may be
levied by a Local Union where approved by majority vote of the members in good standing voting in a referendum by
secret ballot. (b) The International Union, by majority vote of the International Executive Board, may assess the working
membership to provide for sufficient funds, but not exceed the sum of $10.00 in any one year, for the posting of Bonds,
and the payment of Judgments resulting from litigation against the United Mine Workers of America.
Section 7. The Local Financial Secretary shall fill out and forward to the International Secretary Treasurer and
International District Vice President on or before the 25th of each month, a report of all members in good standing in the
Local Union the previous month, together with all dues and assessments due the International.
Section 8. Should it be proven that any Local Financial Secretary has failed to report monthly the full membership of their
Local to the International Secretary Treasurer and the full amount of dues on he same number of members that have paid
dues to the Local Union, together with the full amount of assessment due the International, the Local Union shall be
suspended from all privileges and benefits until the deficiency is made good, and the officer responsible for such failure
shall not be allowed to again hold office in the Union for a period of two years.
Section 9. (a) The International Union shall assess each working member $10.00 per year to carry out the objectives of
COMPAC. This assessment shall be payable in one installment. Money's collected shall be segregated according to
applicable state and federal law where necessary (b) Any member shall have the right to object to any of their dues
money being expended for activities or causes primarily political in nature. Objections must be made to the International
Secretary Treasurer by certified mail and shall be effective only for the following twelve months. At the end of that period
the International Secretary Treasurer shall remit to the objecting member that portion of their dues which has been spent
for such purposes as determined by the International Executive Board.
Section 10. Any member becoming four months in arrears for dues or assessments shall, upon proper notice given,
forfeit his/her membership and shall not be reinstated in good standing except upon such terms as the International
Executive Board shall prescribe; provided, however, that a member who has signed a dues check-off authorization shall
not be considered in arrears of dues because of the failure of the employer to check off and pay the dues until he/she
has been notified by the International Secretary Treasurer of the employer's failure.
Selective Strike Fund
The UMWA maintains and administers a strike fund to provide financial and health care assistance to our membership in
the event that they should have to strike an employer. Members of UMWA local unions that participate in the strike fund
are entitled to a weekly benefit and major medical coverage for the member and dependents. Benefits are paid only to
members of a striking local that participate in the strike and perform assigned strike-related duties (manning picket lines,
gate rallies, etc.). Benefits are paid for the duration of a strike. Members of participating locals are assessed no more
than 2.5% of their gross wage per pay period if the fund balance is below $75 million. The assessment falls to 1% of a
member's monthly gross when the fund balance reaches $100 million. The Selective Strike Fund now has well over $100
million and all major coal contracts have been ratified by the membership for the next 5 years.
Members of the UMWA have the right to charge, bring to trial, suspend from membership, and/or fine members found
guilty of defrauding or undermining the Union. Although rarely used, the membership of our Union feels very strongly
about our Union's ability to self-discipline and self-enforce the lawful rights of our members.
Next: The National Labor Relations Board Election
United We Bargain:
Get Involved & Know Your Rights
Get Involved & Know Your Rights