The United Auto Workers is considering its first dues increase for members since 1967, according to union sources and memos posted on local union websites.
UAW members currently contribute two hours of straight-time pay to the union each month. But during a meeting of union leaders in Dearborn last month, officials from Solidarity House said they are weighing the idea of upping that by another half-hour’s pay.
The dues increase is bound to be a tough sell for the union, particularly given the fact that members in Michigan will be able to opt out of the UAW after the current contract expires, thanks to the state’s new “right-to-work” law.
That the union is even considering such an unpopular move speaks to just how dire the UAW’s financial situation has become. The UAW’s membership, which peaked at around 1.5 million in 1979 to less than 383,000.
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