Dues Rate Effective January 1, 2009

Public Authority (Independent
Provider) Contract Dues:

What your dues are used for

• To fight IHSS program cuts in Sacramento and sponsor legislation to help home care workers: We organize rallies, meetings and vigils and bring people to Sacramento to testify on behalf of home care workers and the IHSS program. We do NOT use your dues to contribute to the campaigns of particular legislators.
  
  
• To pay for the cost of representing more than 65,000 home care workers throughout California: UDW pays about $8.00 a month for every union member, (even those members who only pay UDW dues of $10.30 a month) to be part of a bigger national union that represents millions and millions of workers. Our national union, AFSCME, is headquartered in Washington, D.C. AFSCME represents millions of voters, so it has a lot of influence with the federal government. AFSCME works to insure that the federal government keeps sending money to California to help pay for the wages we get for providing in home supportive services.
  
  
• To secure better wages and benefits in new contracts and renegotiated contracts: UDW pays for negotiators and support staff to bargain for new and better contracts.
  
  
• To organize new members and keep current members active so UDW can remain strong and grow: Without an active membership, UDW would not have the "clout" to advocate effectively for home care providers with county, state, and federal politicians. It takes resources to inform our membership about current issues, send out mailers, call members on the phone, and hold meetings to recruit new members and ask current providers to participate in our campaigns. It is the fact that we represent thousands of registered voters that gives UDW power with legislators.
  
  
• To advocate for IHSS consumers who need their hours reinstated or increased.

Also see:

How the state budget affects IHSS (Why we need to be in Sacramento)

Letter from provider on how your dues are spent

How an IHSS recipient feels about union dues

These deductions may also show on your pay check, if you are a new member (initiation fee) or have agreed to contribute to AFSCME’s PEOPLE political action fund.

Initiation Fees: The one-time membership initiation fee is $25 for new members. The fee is taken out in two separate paycheck deductions of $12.50 each.

PEOPLE: This is AFSCME’s voluntary federal political
fund, and is designated for legislative and political activities at
the federal level – also including national presidential elections. The reason we need to support AFSCME in their political
work is that they are a huge union (1.4 million members) and
basically our power – as workers – is in unity, size of membership, and a
voice in the legislature. The presidential administration and federal legislators in Washington DC set policies that affect the IHSS program. Most important, UDW and home care workers need a strong voice in Washington, because half of the money for our
home care program comes from the federal government. Politicians (particularly
at the federal level) must and do listen to large voting blocks
and to expert lobbyists. If we want to protect our current wages and benefits,
gain additional funding for further wage increases, and win all the other
benefits that home care workers need, including sick leave, holidays, vacations
and pension, we must have ongoing representation in Washington , DC as well
as in Sacramento, California.

Contribute to the PEOPLE Fund

The United Domestic Workers worked with the California State Controller’s Office for over three years to create itemized dues and fees on pay-stubs issued to IHSS Workers. Project Charter, a 3-year effort between UDW, SEIU, and the California State Controller’s Office established the practice of itemizing In-Home Supportive Services Program deductions in IHSS workers’ checks.

The State Controller previously issued IHSS paychecks with all union
deductions added together into one lump sum including regular dues, Initiation
Fees, etc. rather than listing each deduction
separately so
workers would know exactly what they were paying and how much they were
paying for each item.

All checks issued now itemize deductions, meaning
workers see dues, initiation fees, etc. as separate, individually listed
deductions.



Following is a sample of what now appears on the pay-stubs: