UAW mulling first dues hike since 1967

Prices for most goods and services have risen substantially since 1967, but apparently monthly dues for the United Auto Workers union have stayed exactly the same. All that might change, however, as Reuters reports that UAW members could soon pay a little more for their union representation.

Though still in the discussion phase, the union is faced with dwindling membership and cash, so a rise in dues could help the latter. Presently, union dues are equivalent to 2 hours of wages per month, but officials are considering raising the rate to the equivalent of 2.5 hours. Reuters says that for an auto worker making an entry-level $15.78 an hour, dues would climb from the current $31.56 per month up to $39.45. A veteran worker making $28.125 per hour would get a bigger hike from $56.25 to $70.32.

In 1979, UAW members totaled close to 1.5 million, but recent numbers show that America's largest union is comprised of only about 382,500 members – a 30 percent decrease since 2005 alone. According to the report, union membership across America's workforce is down to just 13.1 percent overall – lower than it's been in over three-quarters of a century.