All About Dues

According to Northwest Medicine United's documents, dues can be up to  $2,014 per year or more than $6,000 over the life of a three-year contract.

Unions Aren’t Free

Unions might say their dues only cost a small percentage of your income every month, but over time, that can add up. According to Northwest Medicine United’s most recent financial reports, full-time represented caregivers could pay up to  $2,014 of their salary in dues or more than $6,000 over the life of a three-year contract.

Understanding How Unions Spend Dues Money 

Spending by unions is publicly available via the Office of Labor-Management Standards, part of the U.S. Department of Labor. Financial reports have shown that unions are a big business, supported almost entirely by union dues.
In the 2024–2025 filing cycle, Northwest Medicine United collected just over $100,000 in dues, according to its financial reports on file with the U.S. Department of Labor.
Despite collecting just over $100,000 from their 60 members, Northwest Medicine United did not report how much of that money, if any, it used on actually representing those members. Instead, according to their own reporting, Northwest Medicine United spent that money on union administration, professional fees, and contributions, gifts, and grants.

Northwest Medicine United is an affiliate organization of the American Federation of Teachers (AFT) and the AFL-CIO. The AFT, AFL-CIO uses its funds, which come in part from your dues payments, for things like political activities and lobbying, union administration and general overhead, and more.

Some examples of expenditures unrelated to representation include, but are not limited to1

  • Over $7.2 Million in hotels and travel
  • Over $5.6 million in legal services
  • Over $4.7 Million in Consultants, Pr/comms/ad agencies
Unions are also often donors to political parties and candidates. Whether or not you support the same candidates or causes the union does, your dues money could fund those campaigns. 

Follow the Money: What Your Union Dues Would Fund1

Northwest Medicine United and AFT, AFL-CIO National Union Dues, Revenue, and Spending
AFT Local 6552
Teachers AFL-CIO National
Total Revenues
$102,379
$273,845,598
Number of Members
60
1,828,112
Total Revenues
$72,195
$278,261,430
Representational Activities
N/A
$41,508,805
36% of total revenue
49% of per capita taxes [dues]
Political Activities and Lobbying
N/A
$99,318,685
15% of total revenue
21% of per capita taxes [dues]
General Overhead
N/A
$27,471,759
10% of total revenue

14% of per capita taxes [dues]
Total Payroll
N/A
$54,278,881
(minus disbursements: $36,198,634)
20% of total revenue, assuming total disbursements
27% of per capita taxes [dues], assuming total disbursements
1 TEACHERS AFL-CIO FORM LM-2 LABOR ORGANIZATION ANNUAL REPORT. Office of Labor-Management Standards Online Public Disclosure Room. (2026). https://olmsapps.dol.gov/query/orgReport.do?rptId=924116&rptForm=LM2Form