A Missouri lawmaker wants to delay union dues for new employees.
O’Fallon Republican Mark Matthiesen has pre-filed a bill that would stop labor organizations from collecting union dues until a worker has logged at least 250 hours on the job.
Matthiesen told Missourinet that the goal is to prevent unexpected paycheck deductions.
“There are some employers that are hiring employees without ever even telling them that a condition of employment is paying a third-party union for the ability to work there,” said Matthieson. “And they may not find out for a couple weeks whenever the union starts knocking on their door wanting money.”
According to Matthiesen he was told about a recent concern involving UPS, where Teamsters tried to collect dues from seasonal workers.
“But the employees didn’t know,” said Matthiesen. “Until they got a delinquent newsletter in the mail about three weeks after they started working, stating that they owed the union 20 hours’ worth of pay just for the ability to hold that job.”
Matthiesen told Missourinet more about the proposed bill.
“We’re not saying that a labor union can’t charge a fee for the ability to hold a job,” said Matthiesen. “We’re just saying let’s give those employees a little bit of time to earn some money and catch up with their bills before they start tapping into that wallet.”
Matthieson said workers should have clear, upfront details about union obligations so they can make informed choices before taking the job.
The 2026 Missouri legislative got underway on Wednesday January 7th and runs through May 15th.
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