There will be a small increase in the dues rate for 2021: thirty-eight cents per bi-weekly pay period.
How does the dues increase compare to my raise?
For a full-time SHARE member getting the minimum $0.50/hour raise:
The pay increase is $0.50/hour ($1,040.00/year)
The dues increase is $0.005/hour - about half a penny - ($9.88/year)
What is the new rate and who sets it?
The 2021 regular bi-weekly dues rate for SHARE members will be $19.20. For members working 20 hours/week, the 2021 bi-weekly rate will be $14.38. The new rates will begin in January. The annual increase is calculated by our parent union, AFSCME, based on the average percent increase of AFSCME members’ pay rates across the country in the previous year. This is a small increase because it has been a hard year for public workers - many AFSCME members have had low or no raises, furloughs, and cuts.
Why do we pay dues?
Dues are an investment that SHARE members make in themselves and their coworkers. Without a union, employees have very little leverage to make change, or even to hold onto what they have. With SHARE, we can work together to make work better.
The SHARE advantage more than makes up for the cost of dues. (see FAQ about Membership and Dues and SHARE Raise Advantage.)
The money from dues mostly goes to pay for the union staff. SHARE staff spend their time gathering information and opinions from members, sharing information with members, developing and supporting SHARE Reps, helping members with questions or problems, researching issues, negotiating contracts, organizing events, writing blog posts, lobbying the State House, etc., all on behalf of SHARE members.
More information
If you would like to know more about what SHARE at UMMS does, or about how dues are spent, please talk to a SHARE Rep, email share.umms@theshareunion.org or call 508-929-4020.