Member vs. Agency Fee Payor: What’s the big difference? Many people don’t understand the difference between a CSEA dues-paying member and an agency fee payor. In fact, many people represented by the union mistakenly believe they are full-fledged members of CSEA, when in fact they are not. Let’s examine the difference. As a union, CSEA has a duty to represent any worker holding a title in our bargaining unit. Due to state law, everyone protected by the union must pay for their representation, either by paying union dues, or an equivalent amount called an “agency fee.” The agency fee law makes it so that the union doesn’t have people ‘freeloading’ off of other members; getting the benefits of our excellent representation, without having to pay for it. It’s only fair. So just by getting a job in a CSEA-represented title, you’re automatically an agency fee payor, represented by CSEA, but that DOES NOT automatically make you a dues-paying member. In order to become a full member of this union, with all the rights and privileges associated with membership (more about those in a moment), you actually have to sign a dues authorization or membership card and submit it to CSEA. Once you do that, you’re in – you’ve become an official dues-paying union member – and it doesn’t cost a penny more! What signing that card does mean for you is that you open yourself up to more rights and benefits than you had before. Chiefly, and most important to the majority of workers we talk to, is the right to vote on your union contract, and to vote for your union officers. You can even run for union office yourself, once you’re a dues-paying member. Agency fee payors CANNOT participate in these opportunities. We often ask agency fee payors, why would you allow yourself to pay the same as dues, but not have a voice in your contract and how your union is run? You’re paying for it anyway; you might as well take advantage of our full union democracy. By becoming a full dues-paying member, you also gain access to all of CSEA’s member-only benefits. These are benefits offered outside of the realm of the union contract, only for union members. Many are offered through our affiliations with AFSCME and the AFL-CIO, and also due to our immense buying power as a labor union with nearly 300,000 members statewide. Such benefits include: all of our optional group insurance plans (often with the convenience of payroll deduction); the AFSCME Advantage MasterCard; loan programs; discount shopping programs; a subscription to CSEA’s monthly newspaper; and more. You can find out more about our members-only benefits by visiting CSEA’s website at www.csealocal1000.org. How do you know if you’re NOT a dues-paying CSEA member? Unfortunately, it’s not so easy to tell. One good clue is that you don’t receive the CSEA monthly newspaper, The Work Force. Also, your paycheck may have a code next to your union deduction that designates “Agency” instead of “Dues” or something similar. Many times, people don’t find out their true status until it’s time for a union vote, and their name does not appear on an official membership list. By then, it’s usually to late to sign up to participate in that election. If you’re not sure, you can always contact CSEA’s Membership Department at 800-342-4146, ext. 1331. So maybe you’ve never been approached to sign a membership card before. Maybe you said you’d get around to it, and just haven’t found the time. Maybe you were a member, but went on a leave for more than six months and allowed your membership to lapse. Whatever the reason, it’s never too late to sign up. To get an official membership application, ask your nearest Unit or Local Officer, call CSEA at 800-559-7975, or download one from www.csealocal1000.org. The rest is up to you.
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