Where do the union dues go?

Unifor is a non-profit organization that only receives money from members’ dues. Our dues pay for:

• Expert staff in health & safety, pensions and benefits, legal etc. so that we are well-equipped at the bargaining table.
• Our meeting halls and offices so that we have our own places to gather, independent from our employers.
• Educating our stewards/workplace reps, health and safety reps, activists and leaders so that they can be effective and strategic.
• Holding our meetings and conventions (yes, there is a cost to democracy, but it’s worth it)
• Communications – so we can make sure the voice of working people is heard in our communities, in the media, and with policymakers.
• Some portion of the national dues money goes toward helping workers join our union. This makes sense because all workers deserve the benefits of belonging to a union and because we are stronger when more workers are organized.
• Another portion of our dues goes to our strike defense fund. We pool our resources so that we can take on employers when we need to.