I was under the same impression, but she lives in a right to work state and the company told her that the union is considered the bargaining group for all NON-management personnel and they are bound by law to follow all the rules that the union sets forth.
I told her to look into it further, but she said she and the payroll lady had a deal - she filled out several of the “Dues Return Request” sheets and each payday the payroll clerk just dates one and puts it into the payroll stack (payroll clerk isn’t union either)!
More than one way to de-fur a feline!
I manage a manufacturing facility in a right to work state, we are about 50% union, only the members of the Union pay dues. If she never filled out an authorization card to have Union Dues taken out of her check, the company she is working for is operating illegally, tell her to get a lawyer.