Union dues are a form of security at the workplace and at
home.
The Nunavut Employees Union provides many services to its dues-
paying members. These services included, but are not limited
to: grievance handling and/or assistance; appeal representation;
services staff that are available to the various communities and
who provide valuable advice and representation for the members;
excellent adult education courses; and access to specialized services
that range from arbitration, the fight for pay equity and human
rights to technological change. Some members may work their entire
careers without ever turning to the Union for individual assistance or
advice. The very reason that they do not need to call on the Union is
because of the many protections built into the Collective Agreements
that the NEU has negotiated for them over time. The NEU is ready to
enforce our Collective Agreement from the first level of grievance to
the Supreme Court of Canada.
Some Financial Benefits For Full Members: You can actually save
money by joining the Union.
Income Tax Deductions for Union Dues: As an example, let's take a
NEU member who earns an annual salary of $30,000. This member
pays about $528 in dues. Since union dues are tax deductible, the
real after-tax cost to this member is $316.
Special Savings for NEU and PSAC members: Because of the size
of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC), of which we are a
component, we can negotiate significant discounts for members for
auto and car insurance, life insurance and a deduction in credit card
interest rates.
Click here for more information.
Our Rights: Use Them Or Lose Them!
In our democratic society we place a high value on rights and
freedoms. Laws do not create rights; they give legal recognition and
protection to the exercise of rights. Our rights are strengthened when
they have the full force of the law behind them. When rights have
been codified in law or other legal documents, such as collective
agreements, the legitimacy of these rights has been established.
Keeping our rights means using them and protecting them.
NEU and PSAC Dues
Members of the Nunavut Employees Union pay 1.7206% of their
salary plus an Additional $1.00 per month for Union dues. Dues
apply to: regular pay: overtime: reporting pay: call-back pay: shift
premiums: standby pay: vacation leave entitlements and lieu
time pay out: retroactive pay: payment awarded from a grievance,
arbitration or minutes of settlement. Members approve dues rates at
the NEU and PSAC Triennial Conventions.
Where do your dues go?
Union dues from your pay go first to the Public Service Alliance of
Canada (PSAC). PSAC retains a portion of your dues for services to
PSAC members (including you as a member of the NEU component).
The amount of dues retained by the PSAC is determined at the PSAC
Convention, which is attended by NEU delegates.
PSAC currently retains 52% of your dues per month, regardless of
how much you contribute. These dues are used for such things as
education; representation; negotiations and national campaigns (e.g.
surrounding health and safety; pay equity or human rights issues)
that effect members across Canada.
How does the NEU spend your dues?
NEU provides a number of basic services to its members, including,
but not limited to:
· Service Officer staff who are available for representation
and advice
· Assistance in the negotiation of collective agreements
· Adult Education that is tailored to the needs of the
communities/worksites
· Enforcement of collective agreement rights and
representation on violations of these rights as they related
to classification; staffing; employment standards and health
and safety
· Monitoring political developments that affect the workplace
and informing and mobilizing members around these issues
· Preparation and presentation of briefs to legislative
Committees and other forums to ensure strong labour law
and protection of your rights as a worker
Commonly asked Question relating to dues:
Question: Aren't Union dues just another tax on our paycheque and
what exactly does PSAC and NEU do with the dues?
Answer: If workers got the same return from taxes you pay as you get
from your Union dues, you wouldn't complain about taxes! (Walter
Reuther, President of the United Auto Workers, 1967).
After retaining its portion of dues which they use for such things as
representation at arbitrations and appeals; negotiations and national
campaigns that affect all members, the PSAC returns the remainder
to the NEU and our Locals for services provided to our members.
$2.50 per signed member per month of the dues rebates goes back
to your Local, to be used at its discretion. The local only receives this
amount for each member that has signed a union card. That's one
reason why it's important for you to sign a Union card and take part
in Local affairs.
PSAC, NEU and the locals use their portion of the dues rebate to
directly or indirectly protect your rights. The largest expenditures are
these:
1. Wages and benefits for staff and full-time elected
officials. Staff includes Service Officers who enforce
your Collective Agreement, and handle grievances
at the 2nd level and beyond and the administrative
support staff that are required to assist the Service
officers and the national President.
2. Rebates to Locals to spend the way their signed members
see fit.
3. Executive expenses - mainly travel and loss of salary costs
for RVPs to go into the communities for servicing duties,
and the President's annual visits to several communities per
year (which the president is mandated, by convention, to
do).
4. Semi annual meeting of the full executive (President,
Vice-Presidents, RVPs) in Iqaluit to implement policy and
bylaws passed at Convention and to plan campaigns and
strategize around the various emerging issues that affect the
membership.
5. Costs for associated with negotiations - mostly the
travel costs for Service Officers and RVPs to go to the
communities to support negotiations.
6. Costs associated with the running of the various
NEU properties such as: mortgage payments or rent;
depreciation of assets; utilities (heat, lights, hot water); and
maintenance of the various buildings.
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LINKS OF INTEREST..
· Canadian Labour Congress
· Labour Standards
· PSAC North
· Public Service Alliance of Canada
· Workers Safety and Compensation Commission
· Equity in the Workplace
· Work Rights Canada
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