Posted on Tuesday 07/21/2009 11:00 AM
We received notification regarding a change in Minnesota Statutes § 16A.133. This statute was recently amended to provide that an agency head must, upon written request of an employee, deduct from the pay of the employee, a requested amount to be paid to the Minnesota Benefit Association, or to any organizations contemplated by section 179A.06, of which the employee is a member.
In summary, the Minnesota legislature amended the above law, specifically Minnesota Statutes §179A.01 and §16A.133, which control the payroll deductions for union dues and fair share fees. Previously, the law allowed deductions for union member dues or non-member fair share fees for only one collective bargaining representative. The amendments changed the law to require deductions for union member dues or non-member fair share fee for more than one union, if an employee is employed at multiple institutions or agencies and meets the definition of a “public employee” within each bargaining unit.
An example(s) of this change in law may include a MSUAASF or AFSCME employee who is also teaching IFO adjunct courses. Until this recent change, the MSUAASF/AFSCME employee would only pay union member dues for their specific collective bargaining union. However, due to this change in law, the MSUAAF/AFSCME employee will now pay additional IFO union member dues or non-member fair share fees.
If you signed a membership card and a dues authorization check off card for a second union, beginning on the July 17, 2009 paycheck, you may have seen two deductions, one for each union. If you are a non-member in either or both unions, you will see fair share fee deductions for the union(s), if you meet the definition of a public employee in that bargaining unit.
Consistent with the instructions from Minnesota Management and Budget (MMB), should you have any questions about union deductions, including stopping deductions and refunds, please contact the appropriate union.
Regards,
DeeAnn Snaza
Interim Director of Human Resources
Minnesota State University Mankato
336 Wigley Administration Center
Mankato MN 56001
Phone: (507) 389-6075
Fax: (507) 389-2960
E-Mail: deeann.snaza@mnsu.edu
