AFSCME Local 449

To opt out of AFSCME Local 449 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.

AFSCME Local 449 is the designated union for various public employees working in and around Pima County, including the City of Tucson and Tucson Unified School District.

Those who find themselves in a union-represented workplace should know that Arizona law has long protected public employees from being forced to financially support a union against their will. Furthermore, the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2018 decision in Janus v. AFSCME reaffirmed that all public employees have a constitutional right to choose for themselves whether to pay any union dues or fees.

You can opt out of AFSCME Local 449 dues by filling out the form above, printing it and mailing it to the union.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happens after I send my resignation to the union?

You should receive some acknowledgement of your request from the union within a few weeks.

In many 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 AFSCME Local 449 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.

How much are AFSCME Local 449 dues?

According to federal filings, AFSCME Local 449 charges up to $720 per year in dues. In 2022, the average member paid approximately $450 to the union.

Will the union continue to represent me if I opt out?

Most agreements between public employers and unions in Arizona recognize the union as the “exclusive” or “authorized” representative of all employees covered by the agreement, regardless of their formal union membership status. As a result, the terms of the union’s agreement apply equally to all employees, even if they cease paying dues.

Will I lose wages, health care, retirement or other benefits if I opt out?

No. Your employer – not the union or the union’s agreement – is ultimately responsible for the terms and conditions of your employment. Your compensation, health benefits, retirement, and anything else provided by the employer will remain unchanged if you opt out of AFSCME Local 449.

How will my relationship with the union change if I opt out?

While the terms of your employment will remain unchanged, 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.

Why do people opt out of the union?

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.

How does the union spend my dues money?

AFSCME Local 449

AFSCME Local 449 collected $352,435 from its members in 2022, according to reports the union must file with the U.S. Dept. of Labor.

Of that amount, $117,500 went to AFSCME International to support its massive political, economic and social agenda. AFSCME International regularly supports a host of controversial organizations.

Additionally, AFSCME Local 449 paid nine officers and employees in 2022.

Also, as of December 2022, the union has accumulated a $337,000 stockpile of spare cash.

AFSCME Local 449’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.

A portion of the dues paid by AFSCME Local 449 members goes to AFSCME International in Washington, D.C.

AFSCME International

According to federal filings that the union must submit with the US Department of Labor, AFSCME collected $177 million from its members nationwide in 2022.

In that year alone:

$60 million was spent by AFSCME on divisive political candidates, causes and lobbying. This included $200,000 paid to the far left organization Action for Liberation and $15,200 of campaign support for Stacey Abrams, a radical left political figure in Georgia.
$3.6 million was paid or contributed to largely ideological organizations. This includes $100,000 donated to the Center For American Progress Action Fund, a left-wing organization that promotes radical social and economic policies.
$3.3 million was spent on airfare, hotels and travel for union staff.
$976,875 was spent on attorneys and legal fees.
$193,310 was spent on food and catering.

AFSCME paid 486 employees in 2022, 224 of whom were paid six figures. AFSCME’s international president, Lee Saunders, was paid $384,155.

AFSCME’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.