When you received you paycheck from MCPS last week, the union dues were over $26. That is what Local 500 members pay for dues regardless of wage rates or hours worked. Right?

WRONG!!! If you were a member of Local 500 outside of MCPS, such as Baltimore Head Start workers, DC Head Start workers, or George Washington University Adjunct Faculty, your dues would have been $24... FOR THE MONTH!!!

That is right. Outside MCPS Local 500 leaders have decided to charge a bit under $12 for dues each pay period.

How could this be? We don't know. There is no authority in the Local 500 constitution to charge lower dues for one group of members. During her campaign for election , our President declared she was against sliding dues rates. She opposed the Fair Dues Committee proposals to tie dues rates to the wages we receive.

Local 500 leaders are even using your web site to brag about the low dues it will charge other members . Look at www.seiu500.org. For the link to the exact page, paste the address below into your web browser:

http://www.seiu500.org/join/dcal_news_links.cfm#news

We have said all along that Local 500 needs a fair due structure that relates dues to wages.

Apparently our current leaders believe it is a good idea for OTHER members of the union.

This is the type of leadership we can do without. It is also one of the many reasons Local 500 members have formed Fightback500. We are determined to bring our union back to good health based on strong representation with fair dues.

Vote for Stephen Poor for President,
Vote for Robert Bishop for building services,

and watch for the rest of the Fightback500 team to be announced.

Your vote will matter this May. You union can matter again with the right leadership after the election.

IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE