NOTICE TO PRIVATE SECTOR EMPLOYEES REPRESENTED BY AFSCME COUNCIL 57

This Notice is provided in accordance with the decisions of the United States Supreme Court in NLRB v. General Motors Corporation and Communication Workers of America v. Beck, as well as other cases decided under the National Labor Relations Act. The purpose of this Notice is to advise all persons employed within a bargaining unit represented by District Council 57 of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and its affiliated Locals, and under a collective bargaining agreement requiring the payment of dues or fees as a condition of employment, of: 1) their right to join the union or to become a “financial-core” fee payer; 2) their right as a financial core fee payer to object to the payment of that portion of membership dues that is related to nonrepresentational expenses of the Union; and 3) the procedures that must be followed to file an objection and receive detailed financial information regarding that portion of dues determined by the Union to be related to representational and nonrepresentational expenses.

Under federal law you have the right to join the Union as a full-fledged member or to become a financial-core fee payer in the bargaining unit. Financial-core fee payers are not members of the union and therefore are not afforded the many benefits associated with union membership. For example, financial-core fee payers may not attend union meetings; participate in the ratification of collective bargaining agreements; elect union officers or be eligible for other benefits available only to members and their families such as discount programs with various vendors and educational scholarships. However, financial-core fee payers do receive the benefits of the union’s representation as it relates to the terms and conditions of their employment. As such, the law provides that financial-core fee payers must pay a fee in an amount at least equal to the union’s representational services to fulfill their obligations under a union security provision of a collective bargaining agreement. Such services include the union’s activities related to collective bargaining, contract administration and grievance-arbitration.

Individuals who elect not to join the union and to become a financial core fee payer have the right to object to paying for union activities not germane to the union’s duties as the bargaining representative and to pay only the pro-rata portion 34.127% of membership dues associated with representational expenses, and to sufficient information to decide whether to object. Objections must be in writing and include the objector’s name, address, last four digits of social security number, job title, and work location. Objections are applicable only to the fiscal year for which the objection is filed and must be renewed unless the written objection clearly states it is intended to be continuous. Written objections must be postmarked no later than April 30, 2026, and addressed to the following:

Finance Department AFSCME Council 57
80 Swan Way, Ste. 110
Oakland, CA 94621

Upon receipt of a timely objection, financial-core fee payers will be provided with additional information related to the calculation of the financial core fee.