To opt out of IUOE Local 150 dues:
- Enter your information into the form below and click “submit.”
- On the resulting page, click the link to open your customized form. You will also receive an email with a link to your form.
- Print the form. If you check the appropriate box about needing a printed version, we’ll mail you a copy of the form.
- Sign and date the form.
- Mail the completed form to the address at the top of the form. We highly recommend sending it via certified mail.
The International Union of Operating Engineers, Local 150 (IUOE Local 150) is the designated union for approximately 23,000 working men and women in Illinois, Indiana and Iowa in both the private and public sectors.
A private sector employee who disapproves of paying IUOE Local 150 does not have the rights described below to end deductions but may be eligible to pay a reduced rate. The private sector employee who has a faith-based objection may also be allowed to donate to charity instead of paying union dues as described here.
Public sector employees who are employed by the certain private organizations are also represented by IUOE Local 150.
For years, public employees have been forced to pay union dues as a condition of employment, allowing unions to take their members for granted. However, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that public employees can no longer be required to financially support a labor union against their will. (Janus v. AFSCME, 2018). Janus v. AFSCME, 585 US (2018)
Consequently, public employees may decline to pay these private organizations without losing their jobs or employer-provided benefits.
It is important to know that IUOE Local 150 may continue to automatically withhold dues from employees pay even if they never signed up for membership in the first place. The best way to ensure the deductions stop is to submit a request to the union in writing.
You can opt out of IUOE Local 150 dues by filling out the form above, printing it and mailing it to the union.
Frequently Asked Questions
You should receive some acknowledgement of your request from the union within a few weeks.
In most cases, union dues are automatically deducted from employees’ paychecks. Monitor your paychecks to make sure the dues deductions stop. If the deductions continue for more than a couple pay periods after submitting your opt-out request, contact the union.
Finally, keep in mind:
Opting out is your constitutional right. However, unions like IUOE Local 150 sometimes place restrictions on when they will accept opt-out requests. If the union refuses to immediately cancel dues deductions from your pay, ask them to provide you with written documentation and contact us for assistance.
According to the most recent LM2 filed by IUOE Local 150, regular membership dues cost anywhere between $252 and $2,937 per year plus 3%. In 2022, the average member paid $2,244 in dues and fees.
Yes. IUOE Local 150 has arranged to be the “exclusive representative” of its bargaining units, meaning it is impossible for workers to get out of the terms of the contract, even if they cease paying dues.
In exchange for the monopoly on this particular service, IUOE Local 150 is legally obligated to represent all employees in the workplace, including those who choose not to join the union as members.
The collective bargaining agreement negotiated by the union and your employer will continue to set the terms and conditions of your employment and the union will continue to represent you in grievances, contract enforcement, discipline assistance or other proceedings governed by the collective bargaining agreement.
No. Under state law, a union contract is binding on all employees in a bargaining unit, regardless of whether they are technically union “members.” Your compensation, health benefits, retirement, and anything else governed by the collective bargaining agreement will remain unchanged if you opt out of IUOE Local 150.
While the terms of the contract will still govern your employment, union officials commonly prohibit nonmembers from participating in internal union affairs, such as attending union meetings, voting for union officers or participating in contract ratification votes. You’ll also be ineligible for any special “members only” benefits, such as discounts on additional insurance, scholarship programs, or deals the union has arranged with businesses. You may no longer receive the union newsletter or similar publications.
People have many reasons for not wanting to support the union. Some simply do not believe the services the union provides are worth the dues it charges. Others may find the union’s one-size-fits-all agenda does not serve them well because they are new to the profession, have a specialty that is not acknowledged in bargaining, or they believe their effectiveness is undercompensated. Some resent the union’s role in enabling and defending underperforming employees. Many find the union’s political activity and use of dues to advance partisan causes, candidates and ideology distasteful. Still others believe that union officials are corrupt and unaccountable to their membership.
Unions representing public employees are not governed by the usual consumer protection or anti-trust laws, so abuses are common. Unions can charge whatever they wish. They can spend dues money on anything they want. Often, they do not have to disclose how dues money is spent to members. They can speak for employees without consulting or informing them. They can injure some members’ interests while advancing the interests of others. Unions even have the ability to prevent employees from getting help in their workplace from other sources. They are not governed by any obligation to provide quality service, and almost never have to seek approval of the people they represent in an election to continue as the exclusive representative.
IUOE Local 150 is a private organization with minimal obligations to disclose financial information to members.
However, the IRS requires unions’ 990 tax return to be a public document, and these can be found online at sites like this. IUOE Local 150 reports using the Employer Identification Number (EIN) 36-1581416.
IUOE Local 150
According to federal filings that must be submitted with the Department of Labor, IUOE Local 150 collected $51.6 million from local affiliated unions in 2022.
That same year:
- $4.9 million was paid to affiliate organization like IUOE National Headquarters.
- $872,461 was spent by IUOE on divisive political candidates, causes and lobbying.
- $350,386 was paid or contributed to largely ideological organizations.
- $1.8 million was spent on lawyers, legal fees and private consultants.
The IUOE Local 150 paid 192 employees in 2022, 72 of whom were paid six figures. President James M. Sweeney was paid $416,070.
IUOE Local 150’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019.
IUOE Headquarters
According to federal filings that must be submitted with the Department of Labor, IUOE headquarters collected $63.9 million from local affiliated unions in 2022.
That same year:
- $16.2 million was spent by IUOE on divisive political candidates, causes and lobbying. This includes a $518,000 financial contribution to the progressive organization Canadians United 4 Change.
- $2.9 million was spent on airfare, hotels and travel for union staff, including a $712,678 stay at the Disney World Swan and Dolphin hotel.
- $1.3 million was spent on attorneys and private consultants.
- $793,624 was spent on food and catering, including $19,000 on ice cream.
The IUOE headquarters paid 205 employees in 2022, 96 of whom were paid six figures. IUOE general president James T. Callahan was paid $482,793. Callahan’s family members Thomas Callahan and James J. Callahan were both on payroll making six figures as well.
IUOE Headquarters’ most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.