To opt out of Teamsters Local 237 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.
- Mail the completed form to the address at the top of the form. We highly recommend sending it via certified mail.
Teamsters Local 237 is the largest Teamsters local in the United States, representing nearly 24,000 municipal workers in New York, including those employed by New York City and Suffolk County.
For years, public employees in New York have been forced to pay union dues as a condition of employment, allowing unions to take their members for granted. However, the U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled that public employees can no longer be required to financially support a labor union against their will. (Janus v. AFSCME, 2018).
“States and public-sector unions may no longer extract [funds] from nonconsenting employees. . . . This procedure violates the First Amendment and cannot continue.”
Consequently, public employees may decline to pay these private organizations without losing their jobs or employer-provided benefits.
However, keep in mind:
Although Teamsters Local 237 will continue to negotiate and enforce the collective bargaining agreement on your behalf, the New York Legislature passed a law in 2019 specifying that unions are not obligated represent non-members in the following situations:
- During questioning by their employer;
- During non-contractual administrative or legal hearings; or
- During any grievance or contractual process when the employee is allowed to proceed without union representation.
If you have any questions about your representation rights under the collective bargaining agreement, do not hesitate to contact us for assistance.
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 of pay periods after submitting your opt-out request, contact the union.
Union dues for Teamster Local 237 are $625 on average
Teamsters Local 237 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.
The collective bargaining agreement negotiated by the union and your employer will continue to set the terms and conditions of your employment, and Teamsters Local 237 is legally obligated to enforce the contract on behalf of all employees, including those who choose not to join the union as members.
Unions 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.
No. All provisions of the collective bargaining agreement between the union and your employer will continue to govern your employment. Your wages, health benefits, employer-sponsored retirement and anything else governed by the collective bargaining agreement will remain unchanged if you opt out of Teamsters Local 237.
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.
Teamsters Local 237
Teamsters Local 237 collected $14,698,884 from its members in 2023, according to reports the union must file with the U.S. Dept. of Labor.
In 2021 alone:
- $3.7 million went to the Teamsters headquarters to support their massive political, economic and social agendas. The SEIU regularly supports a host of controversial organizations.
- $792,400 was spent on occupancy
- $699,00 was spent on office expenses
- $537,800 was spent on Legal affairs
- $162,800 was spent on travel
- $127,100 was spent on conferences, conventions, and meetings
Teamsters Local 237 paid 65 officers and employees in 2023, 11 of whom were paid six figures. Controller Robert Kissane received $266,686.
Teamsters Local 237’s most recent 990 report are available here: 2023
Their EIN number is: 13-5616651
A portion of the dues paid by 1199SEIU members goes to support the International Brotherhood of Teamsters
International Brotherhood of Teamsters
According to federal filings that the union must submit with the Department of Labor, IBT headquarters collected $193 million from local affiliated unions in 2022.
In 2022 alone:
- $9 million was spent by IBT on divisive political candidates, causes and lobbying.
- $1.9 million was paid or contributed to largely ideological organizations.
- $6 million was spent on airfare, hotels and travel for union staff. This figure includes a $155,000 expense at the MGM Resort in Los Angeles.
- $3.1 million was spent on private attorneys and consultants.
IBT paid 766 employees in 2022, 189 of whom were paid six figures. Teamsters general president Sean O’Brien was paid $350,145.
IBT’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.