Local 34's Dues Structure

HOW TO CALCULATE AND PAY YOUR LOCAL 34 UNION DUES

Local 34 Union dues were decided by vote of the membership, and the amount you pay depends both on your salary and how many hours you work.  Here are the formulas for calculating your MONTHLY dues:

Full time C&Ts (30 hours or more per week):

Monthly dues = your hourly wage x 2.25

Part time C&Ts (20 hours or more per week, and less than 30):

Monthly dues = your hourly wage x 1.80

There is also an initiation fee equivalent to three months’ dues.  Payment of Union dues and initiation fees is a condition of employment at Yale, and whether or not you choose to join the Union, you will be required ,upon completing your 90-day probationary period, to begin paying either an amount equal to initiation fees and dues or representation fees that could be slightly less. 

The most convenient and carefree method of paying your dues and initiation fees is by automatic payroll deduction.  If you are not already signed up, your Union representative can provide you with a dues-deduction authorization card.  It allows Yale to deduct dues from your paycheck, and these dues are then sent to Local 34.  (Dues are not deducted until after your 90-day probationary period ends, but it can sometimes take as long as six weeks to process the request through payroll Services.  You may find yourself in arrears if you wait too long to submit the authorization card.)
If you have additional questions regarding your dues and initiation fees, please feel free to contact the Local 34 Dues Coordinator at 203-624-5161.

Dues Example:  For purposes of easy math, let’s say you’re paid $10/hour.  If you are a full-time employee (30 to 37.5 hours per week), your dues are calculated at 2.25 times your hourly wage, or 2.25 x $10 = $22.50 per month.  If you are a part-time employee (20 to 29.9 hours per week), your dues are calculated at 1.8 times your hourly wage, or 1.8 x $10 = $18 per month.

Note:  C&Ts are currently paid biweekly, which means that we receive 26 paychecks each year, not 12.  If you want to determine the amount of dues Yale will deduct from your biweekly paycheck, here’s how:  After calculating your monthly dues using the above formula, multiply the result by 12.  This is your annual dues.  Divide your annual dues by 26 to see how much your biweekly payroll deduction will be.

PAYING BACK DUES

Occasionally, an employee may find that she/he owes back dues.  For example, this may happen if the payroll dues-deduction card was either not submitted or submitted late.  Because you are responsible for payment of dues, whether or not the card is signed, you will receive notification of back dues owed.  The Local 34 Dues Coordinator (see above) has a form that allows you to authorize Yale to deduct back dues from your paycheck in the same way that current dues are deducted.

NO PAYCHECK – NO DUES

Many of us experience periods when we are not working, for example, for an unpaid leave of absence or if you have a less-than-12-month position.  With this in mind, the Union provides a way for you to temporarily avoid paying dues for any full month during which you do not receive a Yale paycheck.  It’s called a “Withdrawal Card.” 

You are entitled to a Withdrawal Card as long as your Union dues are current.  If you owe dues or fees, you are required to pay them before you can obtain a Withdrawal Card.  A Withdrawal Card is valid for months in which you receive no Yale paycheck.  As soon as you return to work and start getting paid, you will owe a modest Reinstatement Fee and will resume paying regular dues.