Teamsters 401

To opt out of Teamsters 401 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, and make two copies.
Mail the completed form to the address at the top of the form. We highly recommend sending it via certified mail.
Provide a copy to your employer’s payroll officer and keep a copy for your files.

Teamsters 401 is the designated union for approximately 1,500 employees of Luzerne County, Lackawana County, Duryea Borough, Hazelton School District and likely other public employees in Pennsylvania.

For years, public employees in Pennsylvania 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.

It is important to know that Teamsters 401 may continue to automatically withhold dues from employees’ pay even if they never signed up for membership in the first place. The best way to ensure the deductions stop is to submit a request to the union in writing.

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.

Because it has a financial interest in continuing to withhold dues from your pay, the union may contact you and attempt to persuade you to keep your membership. Their sales pitch may include untrue claims and scare tactics. It is a good idea to try to document any questionable claims made by union representatives. Do not be bullied! If you stand your ground, there is nothing the union can do to retaliate against you for opting out.

Monitor your paychecks to make sure the dues deductions stop. Contact the union if the deductions continue more than a couple paychecks after you submit your resignation request.

Some unions have tricked employees into signing membership forms with fine print waiving their right to resign except during a short annual window period. If the union claims you signed such a form and therefore cannot cancel the dues deductions from your pay, ask to be provided with documentation that you ever signed such an agreement.

How much are Teamsters 401 dues?

According to federal filings, Teamsters 401 charges dues that range from $420 to $1,296 per year. In 2022, the average member paid $679 in dues and fees.

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

Yes. Teamsters 401 has been empowered by the state to represent those in your workplace. Employees are not allowed to negotiate their own compensation or handle their own grievances with their employer, nor can they hire another person or entity to represent them.

In exchange for this unusual benefit, Teamsters 401 is legally obligated to represent all employees in the workplace, including those who choose not to join the union as members.

Consequently, 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.

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

No. All provisions of the collective bargaining agreement between the union and your employer will continue to govern your employment. Your wages, health benefits, retirement and anything else governed by the collective bargaining agreement will remain unchanged if you opt out of Teamsters 401.

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

While the terms of the collective bargaining agreement will still govern your employment, as a nonmember, the union may choose to prevent you from participating in internal union affairs, such as attending union meetings or voting in union elections, including contract ratification votes. Unions also commonly withhold any special “members-only” deals or discounts the union has arranged for 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 Teamsters 401 spend my dues money?

Teamsters Local 401

Teamsters 401 collected $872,729 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:

$225,822 went to the International Brotherhood of Teamsters headquarters in Washington, D.C., to support its massive political, economic and social agenda. IBT regularly supports a host of controversial organizations.
$2,269 was paid or contributed to various organizations.
$18,903 was spent on private attorneys.

Teamsters 401 paid nine officers and employees in 2022. Secretary-treasurer Scott Kucharski’s compensation was $135,981.

Also, despite having $259,063 in cash reserves at the start of 2022, Teamsters 401 increased its dues rates from last year; the minimum dues rate went from $240 to $420 and its maximum dues rate went from $1,284 to $1,296.

Teamster 401’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.

A portion of the dues paid by Teamsters 401 members goes to support the Teamsters Joint Council 53, which has jurisdiction over Eastern Pennsylvania.

Teamsters Joint Council 53

According to federal filings, Teamsters Joint Council 53 collected $376,922 from its local affiliate unions in 2022.

Council 53 spent $27,232 on private attorneys in 2022. It also paid nine officers and employees.

Teamsters Joint Council 53’s most recent LM-2 reports are available here: 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016.

A portion of the dues paid by Teamsters 401 members also goes to support the Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters.

Teamsters PA Conference

According to federal filings, the PA Conference collected $611,000 from its local affiliate unions in 2022.

That year alone:

$225,929 was spent on political activities and lobbying.
$16,093 was paid or contributed to largely ideological organizations.
$28,826 was spent on attorneys and private consultants.
$121,291 was spent hosting the annual convention through the Hershey Entertainment and Resort Company.

The PA Conference paid eight officers and employees, including $98,572 paid to Thomas Felice, an executive assistant to the PA Conference president.

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

Lastly, a portion of the dues paid by Teamsters 401 members goes to support the International Brotherhood of Teamsters headquarters in Washington, D.C.

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.