Welcome!
I know things within the plant are different now, and will be for the foreseeable future, but I want to welcome all of the members back to work. Specifically, I want to reach out to and welcome our new members who have joined Leadec. You have joined a Local Union with 67 years of history consisting of representing our members and helping the broader community.
Union Dues
Over the last few weeks, there have been questions as to the union dues structure for our Local. To clear it up I will explain it as per the By-laws:
Local 707 By-Laws January 2019
(https://uniforlocal707.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/02/Master-by-laws-January-2019-Final.pdf)
Article 10 – Initiations and Dues
Section 1
Initiation fee of the Local Union shall be $10.00. The application shall be
accompanied by the initiation fee.
Dues shall consist of two hours’ and 20 minutes pay plus .85¢ for Picnic
Fund,.10¢ for a Strike Fund, $2.00 for the Building Corporation Fund, and .25¢
for a Special Retires’ Fund to purchase a suitable gift for future retires, which
shall be checked off by the Company in accordance with the contract and in
conformity with Article 15 Section G of the Constitution of the National Union.
Initiation fee of the Local Union shall be $10.00. The application shall be
accompanied by the initiation fee.
After these dues are collected from the Ford Motor Company, Leadec and Abednego we then pay our per capita taxes to the National Union (54%) and to the Ontario Regional Council (0.0135%). The funds remitted to the National office are broken down as such:
UNIFOR Constitution – 2019
( https://www.unifor.org/en/2019-unifor-constitution )
Article 16 Section 15
The National Union shall direct the monies received as its share of dues to the following funds in the shares set out below: ??General Fund: 75% ? Defense/Strike Fund: 10% ? Organizing Fund: 10% ??Education Fund: 3.75% ? Convention Fund: 1.25%
This is how your dues are collected and then distributed monthly in accordance with the Local By Laws and National Constitution.
Some people have also questioned the collection of dues from SUB payments. Yes, you still pay dues when collecting SUB. This is a negotiated benefit that is subject to the usual union dues although at a reduced rate.
I am always available to discuss and clarify any issues that you may have.
Please enjoy your time off over the summer and stay safe!
In Solidarity,
Brett Lefebre
905-844-8830
