For members
How Union Members Pay Dues
How union dues are calculated, what payroll check-off means, what happens when you change employer, and what you are entitled to know about the money.
7 min readUpdated
Union dues work differently from most membership payments. They are often calculated as a percentage of pay rather than a flat amount, and they are frequently collected by the employer directly from wages.
Rules vary substantially between countries and between unions, so treat this as orientation and check your own union's constitution and your national law for specifics.
How the amount is calculated
Many unions set dues as a percentage of gross earnings, so the amount changes with your pay, overtime and grade. Others use flat rates by category, with reduced rates for apprentices, part-time workers, retired members and members who are unemployed or on extended leave.
The formula is set in the union's rules and changed by conference or executive decision, not by a local officer. If your deduction changes unexpectedly, a rule change or a pay change is the usual explanation — and either is worth asking about.
Check-off: payroll deduction
Under a check-off arrangement, your employer deducts dues from your wages and remits them to the union. It is convenient and keeps members in good standing without any action on their part.
It normally requires your written authorization, and in most places you can revoke it — though the procedure and timing for revocation are often specified in the agreement or in law. Your deduction should appear as a distinct line on your payslip; check it periodically, since payroll errors do happen and are much easier to correct in the same period.
Paying directly
Where check-off is unavailable — smaller employers, self-employed members, some sectors — members pay the union directly by transfer, standing order or an online channel. Standing orders are common because they keep standing without monthly attention.
Direct payers need to watch their own standing more closely. A failed standing order can go unnoticed for months, and in some unions a lapse affects eligibility for benefits or representation.
Changing job, leaving, or being out of work
Check-off stops when you leave the employer, because the deduction runs through their payroll. Your membership does not automatically stop with it — you may fall into arrears without realizing, having done nothing wrong.
Tell the union when your employment changes. Most have provisions for unemployment, sick leave, parental leave and retirement, often at a reduced rate or no rate at all, but these usually have to be claimed rather than applied automatically.
What you are entitled to know
Members are generally entitled to know how dues are set, what they fund, and how the union accounts for them. Unions typically publish audited financial statements and present them at conference or general meetings.
In some jurisdictions there are additional statutory rights around political funds and the ability to opt out of that portion of dues specifically. If that applies where you are, it is a separate decision from your membership itself.