Paying "non-union" dues -- the difference between Union and non-union wages -- takes much more out of one’s pocket than Union dues ever will.   And unlike Union dues, which go toward training members and protecting their working conditions, "non-union" dues go directly into the contractor’s pocket.

          Here in Louisiana, Union carpenters earn between $16.71 to $18.80 per hour, plus $2.48 per hour in benefits.   Non-union carpenters earn between $8.00 and $14.00 per hour with no benefits.   A non-union carpenter working a 40-hour week and earning $14.00 per hour, makes $560.   A Union carpenter working a 40-hour week and earning $16.71 per hour, makes $668.40 plus $99.20 in benefits.   A total difference of $207.60 ($108.40 in wages and $99.20 in benefits) -- per week.   A non-union carpenter is paying the contractor over $830.40 per month in "non-union" dues.   That's over $9,964.80 a year for choosing not to work Union.   That's an expensive "non-union" membership!

          Many times, carpenters working non-union think they have to pay a big initiation fee or high monthly dues to join the Union.   Non-union contractors and their foremen usually play up these myths to keep workers away from the Union organizers.

          Union dues in Carpenters Local 953 are $19.50 per month plus a 3% gross wage deduction. There is no initiation fee.   Based on working a 40-hour week at $16.71 per hour, that's approximately $99.70 per month to belong to the United Brotherhood.

          Non-union carpenters pay their employers approx. $10,000 per year in lost wages and benefits -- "non-union dues" -- when they choose not to pay $1,196.40 per year in Union dues.