We know you value every dollar you earn – and we appreciate every dollar of union dues that you and your fellow SEIU Local 721 members opt to provide. Dues are the life blood of our union. These funds empower our union to negotiate for strong contracts and to stand up for our members’ rights in the workplace.
Dues vary from member to member because different bargaining units work under different contracts. But, ultimately, our union dues help guarantee that SEIU Local 721 members continue to enjoy good pay, benefits, and protections. Members who contribute to SEIU Local 721’s Committee on Political Education (COPE) help our union remain a force to be reckoned with – from City Hall to the halls of Congress.
Status Report on Dues Equalization
The memo presented to the SEIU 721 Interim Executive Board on Feb. 18, 2009:
Dues allow our union to continue to stand up for members and negotiate strong contracts. It is essential in our new union that we have a fair dues structure. To that end, a group of members representing all regions of the union met on various occasions in 2008 and 2009. Their goal was to recommend to the SEIU 721 Interim Executive Board a fair and equitable dues structure for every member of the union.
The committee voted by a wide majority on February 3, 2009 to recommend a uniform dues rate of 1.5 percent to the executive board. The executive board adopted this recommendation February 18, 2009.
Any dues increases would be voted on by the members in the affected areas.
In areas where members’ dues rate exceeded this recommendation, the rate was lowered to 1.5 percent.
Committee members who voted at the Feb. 3 meeting were:
Arturo Diaz
Rafael Garcia
Carolyn Lawson
Cynthia Molette
David Green
David Nieto
Douglas Mroczek
Annette Jeffries
Edward Roman
Yolanda Roybal
Lynette Wilhite
Cheyenne Chambers
Daniel Marquez
Robinn Mosley
Tony Bravo
Kathleen Austria
Jorge Zamalea
Frank Dominguez
Tracey Boykins
SEIU Local 721 Policy on Refunds
Effective January 1, 2010, the SEIU Local 721 Executive Board adopted the following provisions with respect to refunds for dues or other fees:
Dues or Agency Fees Payments: It is the member’s or fee payer’s responsibility to notify the union if they believe their deduction is erroneous or if they are no longer represented by the union. Individuals may request a refund of dues or agency fee payments by submitting a written request to the SEIU 721 Membership Department. The union will not refund any dues or agency fee payments beyond six (6) months from the date of the request.
Political Contributions: Many members have authorized voluntary contributions to the union or their chapter’s political funds. Such contributions may be canceled at any time by the member. Given the voluntary nature of these contributions and the ability to cancel at any time, the union will not provide any refund of such deductions.