Split from the union? Chris Day explains

ATU757 Members understand what you sign!


Here is the agreement that ATU757 is having new members sign. From conversations with new hires I am getting the impression that ATU Leadership is not fully informing the new hires of what they are agreeing to. If you have became an ATU member within the past 2 years can you comment about if you knew or didn't know to the terms that you signed?

Here is what was stated at the bottom of the ATU Membership Agreement form:

"Effective immediately, I hereby voluntarily authorize and direct my Employer to deduct from my pay each pay period, regardless of whether I am or remain a member of the Union, the amount of dues certified by the Union, and as they may be adjusted periodically by the Union, and to authorize my Employer to remit such amount monthly to the Union.
This voluntary authorization and assignment shall be irrevocable, regardless of whether I am or remain a member of the Union, for a period of one year from the date of execution and for year to year thereafter unless I give the Employer and the Union written notice of revocation not less than ten (10) days and not more than twenty (20) days before the end ofany yearly period. The applicable collective-bargaining agreement is available for review, upon request. This card supersedes any prior check-off authorization card I signed.
I recognize that my authorization of dues deductions, and the continuation of such authorization from one year to the next, is voluntary and not a condition of my employment.
Payments to the Union are not deductible as charitable donations for federal income tax purposes."

Here is a breakdown of what you agreed to:

"Effective immediately, I hereby voluntarily authorize and direct my Employer to deduct from my pay each pay period, regardless of whether I am or remain a member of the Union, the amount of dues certified by the Union, and as they may be adjusted periodically by the Union, and to authorize my Employer to remit such amount monthly to the Union."

This makes it clear that the person agreeing to this will pay dues even if the person no longer wishes to be a part of the union.

"This voluntary authorization and assignment shall be irrevocable, regardless of whether I am or remain a member of the Union, for a period of one year from the date of execution and for year to year thereafter "

This makes it clear that the agreement will stay in effect even if the person who signed the agreement stops his/her membership. It will continue to renew year after year.

"unless I give the Employer and the Union written notice of revocation not less than ten (10) days and not more than twenty (20) days before the end ofany yearly period"

This gives the person who signed the agreement a small window to cancel the agreement. The time period is very clear and if not followed ATU can keep the agreement active. No less than 10 days means if ATU and the employer receive an opt out letter with 9 days or less of the anniversary date of the agreement then the window has been missed and the agreement will continue. If ATU and the employer receive an opt out letter 21 days or more before the agreement anniversary date the opt out letter can be rejected because it was not presented at the appropriate time.

Keep in mind that the 10 day window is calendar days and not business days and ATU757 is not open on weekends or many Holidays. This reduces the window to opt out to as low as 6 days. This makes it a small window that the person who signed the agreement can opt out.

For those who signed this agreement did you read or made aware of all this before you signed it?