Update (3/15/2024) – Great News! The City has finished processing our demand for interim dues and dues will begin being deducted from member’s paychecks on 3/21/2024.
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A Message from Your Union Treasurer
Hello Union Siblings!
Dues are a crucial part of having a strong union – they allow us to pay for needed expenses, maintain an infrastructure, get the trainings we need to fight at the contract table, and have the resources to exercise our power. Most importantly, dues allow us all to contribute to building this union together.
Dues also generate a lot of questions! Let’s take a minute and dig into dues together.
What are CPPW dues right now?
In early December, with a vote of 91% in favor, the CPPW membership voted to institute flat interim dues of 0.5% of gross monthly salary as a temporary measure to raise money to fight for our first contract.
Why aren’t dues being taken out of my paycheck?
In late December, CPPW alerted the City that they should begin a dues paycheck deduction from all signed members in good standing as of 1/4/2024. Unfortunately, key City administrators say they need additional information from us in order to start the process. At the same time, those City administrators have not shown up to the scheduled meetings where we are supposed to be answering their questions. It is our legal right to fund our organization with interim dues from paycheck deductions. We will continue to press on this matter and will escalate as necessary to get this process going.
If the City is not taking any dues now, will there be any retroactive dues?
No. The CPPW membership will not be penalized for the City’s failure to deduct dues in a timely fashion.
Why do we need interim dues?
Traditional dues are implemented as part of a final contract with an employer. In the meantime, interim dues are essential to CPPW’s success in bargaining. Interim dues will pay for legal fees, administrative costs, printing, communications, technology, training fees, and more. A dues paying membership also demonstrates to the City that CPPW’s people support the union effort and are ready to back up that support with action!
What will dues be once we have a contract?
CPPW has designed a Progressive Dues structure which makes dues both affordable and equitable. This dues structure was codified in the Constitution and Bylaws, specifically Bylaw 2.
What are progressive dues?
Progressive Dues are a more fair and equitable dues structure where every person’s base, pre-tax wages are divided into brackets which correspond to a specific dues percentage. If, for example, a member made $50,000 or less annually their dues would be 0%, the next bracket ($50,000-$75,000) pays 1.45% on that $25,000 and so on.
To put progressive dues in context:
- Average CPPW Wage is $102,500 – dues at this wage would amount to .93% (less than 1% of your base wages)
- Highest CPPW wage is $163,321 – dues at this wage would amount to 1.75%
How does this compare to other Unions?
- AFSCME 189’s dues are a flat rate of 1.77% for all members.
- ProTec 17’s dues are a flat rate of .85% for all members.
How can I find out what my dues will be within the Progressive Dues structure?
CPPW has created a table to illustrate the dues percentage which corresponds to each income bracket. There’s a lot of great information in the table, this is what you’ll be looking at:
- Column 1: Annual Salary
- Column 2: Hourly Rate
- Column 3: Corresponding Dues Percentage
- Column 4: Amount of Dues Per Pay Period
- Column 5: Total Amount of Dues Per Year
CLICK HERE to view the Progressive Dues wage table where you can look up your dues amount.
If you have questions please do not hesitate to reach out to treasurer Chris Gustafson at: [email protected]
