Frequently Asked Questions
Many California Employees are asking questions about how to obtain better union represenatation. If you don’t find the answer to your question here, please use our Contact Page to let us know!
What is a “Fair Share Fee Payer”?
A NonMember/Fair Share fee payer pays 97.6% of union dues, which is 1.5% of that State Employee’s monthly gross salary.
Is a Fair Share Fee Payer part of SEIU?
A NonMember/Fair Share fee payer cannot run for a union position/office and cannot vote in union elections.
What are the rights of a Fair Share fee payer?
The union, SEIU Local 1000, has to represent and treat a NonMember/Fair Share fee payer and a member exactly the same. A NonMember/Fair Share fee payer and a member of the union are equally protected by the provisions and terms of the Contract, or Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).
How can I stop SEIU from taking my money to spend in support of political causes?
A NonMember/Fair Share fee payer is eligible and entitled to apply for the Non-Germane Objector (aka Hudson Objector), which is a way to document the employee’s objection to the Union’s Non-Germane expenditures and save about 35-45% of the union dues during the fiscal year. The Non-Germane objector application must be post marked after June 1st and no later than June 30th of each year.
What does “Non-Germane Objector” mean?
A Non-Germane objector is a worker who is not a member of the union, who does not want to be forced to subsidize the union’s political or ideological activities not germane to the collective-bargaining process. The Supreme Court has held that a NonMember/Fair Share fee payer is entitled to challenge the amount of Non-Germane expenditures.
“…Safeguards are necessary to prevent compulsory subsidization of ideological activity by non-union employees” [The U.S. Supreme Court Teachers v. Hudson (1986)]
How can I challenge the amount of money SEIU wants to take from my paycheck?
A NonMember/Fair Share fee payer who wishes to challenge the Non-Germane expenditure has to file a letter post marked no later than June 30th of 2010 with CSEA/SEIU Local 1000 membership department. SEIU Local 1000 is obligated to schedule a hearing no later than August 31, 2010. The hearing will take place before an impartial arbitrator from American Arbitration Association and SEIU Local 1000 will pay for it.
Link to the Non-Germane Objector Form coming this Sunday!