[jla]

To 4 - Those deductions are stopped when one severs his/her membership with a union.
Union membership is not mandatory anywhere in the US

[TChris]

Union membership is not mandatory anywhere in the US

LOLOLOL!

Yeah, only if you want a JOB in certain parts of the US.

There are absolutely places where union membership is mandatory in certain fields, otherwise, you're unemployed.

[anoldafvet]

Only in states with right to work laws. In other states like New York, not so much.

[thecabal]

To 4 - Those deductions are stopped when one severs his/her membership with a union. Union membership is not mandatory anywhere in the US

You are technically correct that in some states you do not have to be a union member to hold a union job. However, you still have to pay to union dues regardless of whether or not you choose to be a member of the union.

[pnh102]

Union membership is not mandatory anywhere in the US

How do you figure? In many union shops in non-right-to-work states you will be fired if you do not join the union within a month or so of employment. Do you mean that it is not mandatory in the sense that one doesn't have to choose to be in a union?

[SW6906]

At Boeing, if you are an engineer or a factory worker, you MUST belong to the union or you can be a Beck objector. But the union says if you are a Beck objector, you still have to pay the "union representation fee" which just happens to be about 98% of the union dues.

And if you are a Beck objector, you get no union benefits like representation in disputes or the right to vote on contracts.

[RFH]

See: http://atyourservice.ucop.edu/employees/policies_employee_labor_relations/agency_fee/bill_sb645.html

As of January 1, 2000, all employees of the California State University or University of California “as a condition of continued employment” had to either join the union or pay a ‘fair share’ fee to the union (which was if I recall correctly about 95% of the union dues). It is the law in the state of California. The practice continues to this day.