AFSCME 132

AFSCME Council 132 represents approximately 33,000 workers across Oregon.

For years, certified and registered family child care providers were required to pay union dues to AFSCME Local 132 (Oregon Child Care Providers Together, CCPT)/AFSCME Council 75 as a condition of employment and the state automatically deducted union dues from providers’ state paychecks.

However, because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2014 decision in Harris v. Quinn, family child care providers can now demand that AFSCME cease withholding union dues/fees from their state paychecks.

The court referred to the requirement for partial-public employees like family child care providers to pay union dues as a money-making “scheme” for the union and ruled that the mandatory dues requirement violated providers’ First Amendment rights to freedom of speech and association.

You can opt out of AFSCME dues by completing the form below and mailing it to the address provided.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: AFSCME has arbitrarily decided to only allow family child care providers to opt out during a 10-day period each year. The 10-day window is different for each provider and is based on the date you first signed an AFSCME membership form. If the union receives your opt-out form outside your window, it will ignore your request and continue deducting dues from your pay.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I have to do in order to get AFSCME to stop deducting dues from my state reimbursement checks?

Certified and registered family child care providers who wish to opt out of paying dues to support AFSCME need to complete the form above and mail it to:

Executive Director, AFSCME 132
C/O Freedom Foundation
P.O. Box 18146
Salem, OR 97305

How much are AFSCME Local 132 dues?

According to federal filings, the union’s dues in 2016 were $35 per month, or $420 of your pay each year.

Can I still work for state-paid clients and receive DHS subsidy payments if I opt out of paying dues to AFSCME?

Yes. Under state law, the union contract for certified and registered family child care providers is binding on all providers in the state, regardless of whether they want to be union represented and regardless of whether they choose to pay union dues. Opting out of paying dues will in no way affect your ability to serve state-paid clients or receive subsidy payments from the state.

If I stop paying dues to the union, will I still receive the same wages and benefits specified in AFSCME’s contract with the state?

Yes. AFSCME Local 132 has arranged to be the “exclusive bargaining representative” for all certified and registered family child care providers in the state, meaning that it is impossible for providers to get out of the terms of the contract, even if they cease paying dues. Your state subsidy rates and benefits will be the same whether you are a member of the union or not.

Article 13 of the contract even provides, “no provider, on account of membership or non-membership, shall be discriminated against, intimidated, restrained or coerced in or on account of the exercise of rights granted by the collective bargaining agreement.”

If I stop paying dues, will I still be able to attend child care training?

If you resign your union membership and stop paying dues, you will still be able to attend any training offered by non-union sources like the Department of Human Services and the Office of Child Care. However, it is possible that you may not be able to attend training provided by the union.

For more information about training and professional development opportunities, access the Oregon Registry Online or check with your local Child Care Resource and Referral program.

How will my relationship with the union change if I resign my membership in AFSCME and stop paying dues?

While the terms of AFSCME’s contract will still apply to you and your relationship with your client and the state will remain unchanged as a nonmember of AFSCME, you will no longer be able to participate in internal union affairs, such as attending union meetings, participating in contract ratification votes or voting for union officers.

How does AFSCME spend my dues money?

AFSCME Local 132 does not function like a traditional union. It cannot represent providers in workplace disputes or grievances, because certified and registered family child care providers have an employer-employee relationship with their clients, not the state. The core of AFSCME’s activity involves negotiating a new collective bargaining agreement with the state once every few years. For practical purposes, the primary union for certified and registered family child care providers is AFSCME’s statewide affiliate, Council 75. AFSCME Local 132’s most recent Department of Labor filings are available here: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019.

A portion of the dues paid by AFSCME 132 members goes to support AFSCME Council 75.

AFSCME Council 75

AFSCME Council 75 collected $15 million in dues and fees from its members in 2024, according to LM-2 reports the union is required to file with the U.S. Department of Labor.

$1.7 million was paid towards supporting political candidates, activities, and lobbyist groups.
$46,252 was paid or contributed to largely ideologically driven organizations.
$204,797 was spent on hotels, airfare, and travel expenses.
$398,821 was spent on conferences, events, and catering throughout the year.
$292,523 was spent on office expenses, promotional items, and union advertising.

In 2024, AFSCME Council 75 paid 110 employees and officers, 46 of whom were paid six-figures. AFSCME Council 75’s executive director, Joseph Baessler, received a salary of $196,580.

AFSCME Council 75’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019.

Lastly, a portion of the dues paid by AFSCME 132 members goes to support AFSCME headquarters.

American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees

According to federal filings that the union must submit to the Department of Labor, AFSCME headquarters collected over $192 million from local affiliated unions in 2024.

In 2024 alone:

$51.5 million was spent by the AFSCME HQ on divisive political candidates, causes, and lobbying. This figure includes an expense of $1,250,000 to the Democratic Legislative Campaign Committee.
$1.5 million was paid or contributed to largely ideologically driven organizations.
$2.2 million was spent on office expenses, promotional items, and union advertising.
$13.5 million was spent on conferences and catering throughout the year.
$2.6 million was spent on airfare, hotels, and travel for union staff.

AFSCME HQ paid 510 employees in 2024, 280 of whom were paid six figures. AFSCME HQ’s International President, Lee Saunders, was paid $413,861.

AFSCME’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020.