AFSCME 1184

To opt out of paying AFSCME 1184 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 and make two copies.
Mail the completed form to the address at the top of the form. We highly recommend sending it via certified mail.
Provide a copy to your employer’s payroll officer and keep a copy for your files.

AFSCME 1184 is the designated union for classified school employees in Maimi-Dade County Public Schools.

For years, public employees in many states have been forced to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment, allowing unions to take their members for granted. However, because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2018 decision in Janus v. AFSCME, public employees can no longer be required to financially support a labor union against their will. Thus, public employees may decline to pay these private organizations without losing their jobs or employer-provided benefits.

The court ruled that the mandatory dues requirement violated workers’ First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and association, and that public employees have the right to choose for themselves whether to pay any union dues or fees.

You can opt out of these union dues by filling out the form above, printing it and mailing it to the union.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens after I send my resignation to the union?

You should receive some acknowledgement of your request from the union within a few weeks.

Because it has a financial interest in continuing to withhold dues from your pay, the union may contact you and attempt to persuade you to keep your membership. Their sales pitch may include untrue claims and scare tactics. It is a good idea to try to document any questionable claims made by union representatives. Do not be bullied! If you stand your ground, there is nothing the union can do to retaliate against you for opting out.

Monitor your paychecks to make sure the dues deductions stop. Contact the union if the deductions continue more than a couple paychecks after you submit your resignation request.

Some unions have tricked employees into signing membership forms with fine print waiving their right to resign except during a short annual window period. If the union claims you signed such a form and therefore cannot cancel the dues deductions from your pay, ask to be provided with documentation that you ever signed such an agreement.

How much are AFSCME 1184 dues?

Union dues for AFSCME 1184 are hundreds of dollars per year

Will the union continue to represent me if I opt out?

Yes. AFSCME 1184 has been empowered by the state to represent those in your workplace. Employees are not allowed to negotiate their own compensation or handle their own grievances with their employer, nor can they hire another person or entity to represent them.

In exchange for this unusual benefit, AFSCME 1184 is legally obligated to represent all employees in the workplace, including those who choose not to join the union as members.

Consequently, 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.

Will I lose employer-provided wages, health care, retirement or other benefits if I opt out?

No. All provisions of the collective bargaining agreement between the union and your employer will continue to govern your employment. Your wages, health benefits, retirement and anything else governed by the collective bargaining agreement will remain unchanged if you opt out of AFSCME 1184.

How will my relationship with the union change if I opt out?

While the terms of the collective bargaining agreement will still govern your employment, as a nonmember, the union may choose to prevent you from participating in internal union affairs, such as attending union meetings or voting in union elections, including contract ratification votes. Unions also commonly withhold any special “members-only” deals or discounts the union has arranged for with businesses. You may no longer receive the union newsletter or similar publications.

Why do people opt out of the union?

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.

Sometimes people have a faith-based objection to unions’ expenditures. To learn more about some of the major public unions’ expenditures in light of common faith beliefs, click here.

How does the union spend my dues money?

AFSCME Local 1184

AFSCME Local 1184 collected $1.4 million from its members in 2018, according to reports the union must file with the IRS.

In 2018 alone:

Over $1 million went to AFSCME Florida and AFSCME International to support their massive political, economic and social agendas. AFSCME International regularly supports a host of controversial organizations.
$33,800 was spent by AFSCME Local 1184 on travel for union staff.
$9,800 was spent on attorneys and other legal fees.
$5,100 was spent on union conferences and meetings.

AFSCME Local 1184 paid at least 18 officers and employees in 2018. President Vicki Hall received $59,000, in addition to $62,000 in lost time compensation. Her total pay was $121,000.

Also, as of December 2018, the union has accumulated $260,900 in cash reserves.

AFSCME Local 1184’s most recent IRS 990 reports are available here: 2018, 2017, 2016.

A portion of the dues paid by AFSCME Local 1184 members goes to AFSCME Florida.

AFSCME Florida

AFSCME Florida collected $7.2 million from its members in 2020, according to reports the union must file with the U.S. Dept. of Labor.

In 2020 alone:

$2.6 million went to AFSCME International, headquartered in Washington, D.C., to support its massive political, economic and social agenda. AFSCME International regularly supports a host of controversial organizations.
$790,600 was spent by AFSCME Florida on political activity and lobbying.
$35,400 was paid or contributed to a variety of outside organizations.
$64,500 was spent on private attorneys.
$70,600 was spent on hotel venues and travel for union staff.

AFSCME Florida paid 52 employees in 2020. President Vicki Hall’s compensation was $154,758.

Also, despite having $3.1 million in cash reserves at the end of 2019, AFSCME Florida increased its maximum dues amount from $475 to $487 per year. Since then, the union’s cash stockpile has grown by over $110,000.

AFSCME Florida’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.

A portion of the dues paid by AFSCME Local 1184 members also goes to AFSCME International in Washington, D.C.

AFSCME International

AFSCME collected $183 million from its members nationwide in 2020.

$62 million was spent by AFSCME on divisive political candidates, causes and lobbying. This includes $115,000 in campaign support to Michael Madigan, former speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives, who recently fell into disgrace under accusations of corruption and cronyism.
$2.9 million was paid or contributed to largely ideological organizations. This includes $5,000 donated to the Alliance for Global Justice, a left-wing, anti-capitalist organization that grew out of the Nicaragua Network, which supported the Communist Sandinista regime in Nicaragua.
$1.3 million was spent on airfare, hotels and travel for union staff.
$4.6 million was spent on attorneys and private consultants.
$71,500 was spent on food and catering.

AFSCME paid 484 employees in 2020, 211 of whom were paid six figures. AFSCME’s international president, Lee Saunders, was paid $357,000.

AFSCME’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.