To opt out of SEIU Local 73 dues:
1. Enter your information into the form below and click “submit.”
2. On the resulting page, click the link to open your customized form. You will also receive an email with a link to your form.
3. Print the form. If you check the appropriate box about needing a printed version, we’ll mail you a copy of the form.
4. Sign and date the form.
5. Mail the completed form to the address at the top of the form. We highly recommend sending it via certified mail.
SEIU Local 73 is the designated union for approximately 29,000 public employees in Illinois, including state, local government and school district employees.
For years, public employees in Illinois have been forced to pay union dues or fees as a condition of employment, allowing unions like SEIU Local 73 to take their members for granted. However, because of the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent decision in Janus v. AFSCME (2018), public employees can no longer be required to financially support a labor union against their will.
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 SEIU Local 73 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 SEIU Local 73 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 federal filings, SEIU 73 charges up to $1,858 per year in dues. In 2022, the average member paid $545.
Yes. SEIU Local 73 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, SEIU Local 73 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 the SEIU Local 73.
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.
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.
SEIU Local 73
SEIU 73 collected $14.2 million in dues and fees from its members in calendar year 2022, according to reports the union must file with the U.S. Dept. of Labor.
In 2022 alone:
- $4.5 million went to the SEIU headquarters in Washington, D.C., to support its massive political, economic and social agenda. SEIU headquarters regularly supports a host of controversial organizations. Planned Parenthood, for example, received $50,000 from SEIU in 2019.
- $314,032 was spent by SEIU 73 on political activity and lobbying.
- $44,298 was paid or contributed to largely ideological organizations.
- $299,796 was spent on attorneys and private consultants.
SEIU 73 paid 116 officers and employees in 2022, six of whom were paid six figures. President Dian Palmer was paid $198,727.
Additionally, despite having stockpiled $2.5 million in spare cash at the end of 2022, SEIU 73 increased the maximum dues amount from $1,720 to $1,858.
SEIU 73’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.
A portion of the dues paid by SEIU 73 members goes to support the SEIU Illinois State Council
SEIU Illinois State Council
According to federal filings that the union must submit with the Department of Labor, the Illinois State Council collected $2.9 million in dues and fees from its members in 2022.
In 2022 alone:
- $3.6 million was spent on political activity and lobbying.
- $160,025 was paid or contributed to largely ideological organizations.
The IL State Council’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.
Lastly, a portion of the dues paid by SEIU 73 members goes to support the international headquarters of SEIU.
SEIU National Headquarters
The SEIU national headquarters collected $239 million from its affiliates in 2022. In that year alone:
- $63.5 million was spent on divisive political candidates, causes and lobbying.
- $4.5 million was paid or contributed to largely ideological organizations.
- $6.3 million was spent on airfare, hotels and travel for union staff. SEIU’s hotel expenses included a $805,000 bill from the Hilton in Washington DC.
- $36 million was spent on private attorneys and consultants.
- $63,217 was spent on food and catering.
SEIU national headquarters paid 496 employees in 2022, 309 of whom were paid six figures. SEIU’s International President, Mary Kay Henry, was paid $289,587.
SEIU National Headquarters’ most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.