UDW AFSCME 3930

How In-Home Care Providers in California Can Opt Out of UDW/AFSME Dues

UDW/AFSCME 3930 is collecting funds from
In-Home Support Services (IHSS) home care providers
in these counties

Alpine, Butte, El Dorado, Imperial, Kern, Madera, Mariposa, Merced, Mono, Nevada, Orange, Placer, Plumas, Riverside, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara, Sierra, Stanislaus, Sutter, Tuolumne.

United Domestic Workers (UDW/AFSCME Local 3930) represents approximately 140,000 home care providers.

For many years now, a private organization, UDW 3930, has injected itself into the relationship between caregivers and their clients, and has collected money from IHSS caregivers’ pay. However, because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s June 2014 decision in Harris v. Quinn, individual provider home care aides can now demand that UDW/AFSCME cease withholding union dues/fees from their paychecks.

The court referred to the requirement for partial-public employees like IHSS 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.

Even if you never signed a union membership card, the state and union will still automatically withhold dues from your pay until you demand in writing that the deductions stop. You can opt out of UDW 3930 dues by completing the form below and mailing it to UDW.

There is no penalty for opting out. Your ability to serve clients and receive IHSS funding is not affected. The difference is that you receive the full amount of the funds for the services you provide.

Frequently Asked Questions

What do I have to do in order to get UDW/AFSCME to stop deducting dues from my IHSS checks?

Individual providers who wish to opt out of paying dues to support UDW/AFSCME simply have to complete the form above and mail it to the union at the address provided. It’s a good idea to send the letter via certified mail or a similar service that provides you with proof of delivery.

How much money is UDW/AFSCME taking from my IHSS funds as dues?

UDW/AFSCME deducts 3.5% of members’ pay. It has a minimum dues rate set at $240 per year and a maximum at $588 per year.

Can I still be paid to serve IHSS clients if I opt-out of paying dues to UDW/AFSCME?

Yes. Under state law, the union contract for individual providers is binding on all providers, 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 be paid by the state to work for IHSS clients.

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

While the terms of UDW’s contract will still apply to you and your relationship with your client and the state will remain unchanged as a nonmember, 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 UDW AFSCME 3930 spend my dues money?

United Domestic Workers of America (AFSCME 3930)

UDW/AFSCME collected $26.6 million in dues and fees from its members in calendar year 2020, according to reports the union must file with the U.S. Dept. of Labor.

In 2020 alone:

$11.4 million went to AFSCME International in Washington, D.C., to support its massive political, economic and social agenda. AFSCME International regularly supports a host of controversial organizations.
$1.4 million was spent on political activity and lobbying.
$1.2 million was paid in contributions to various organizations, many of which are ideologically driven.
$63,100 was spent on airfare and hotels for union staff, including $5,200 spent at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.
$191,900 was spent on private consultants.
$19,400 was spent on food and catering.

UDW/AFSCME paid 133 officers and employees in 2020, 19 of whom were paid six figures. Executive director Douglas Moore was paid $334,600.

Also, as of the end of 2020, UDW/AFSCME has accumulated a stockpile of $3.3 million in spare cash.

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

A portion of the dues paid by UDW/AFSCME members goes to support AFSCME International.

AFSCME International

AFSCME collected $183 million from its members nationwide in 2020. In that year alone:

$62 million was spent by AFSCME on divisive political candidates, causes and lobbying. This includes $115,000 of campaign support for 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 private attorneys and 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.