What You Get for Paying Dues and Why It Matters More Than Ever
A message to the members of USW Local 13214
Wyoming is a right-to-work state, and that means people have a choice about paying dues. No one is forced into anything. But here’s the truth that rarely gets said out loud:
The strength of our contract, the wages, the pension, the holiday pay, the protections all of it exists because enough workers stand together to protect it.
This isn't a theory. It’s not politics. It’s not fear. It’s reality.
Right now, some members are choosing to drop dues. And instead of ignoring it or getting angry about it, we want to have an honest conversation about why membership matters not for the union, but for YOU.
Below is a full breakdown of what paying dues actually brings to the table and why your membership matters more today than it ever has.
1. The Power Behind Our Wage Package
Let’s start with something everybody feels: the paycheck.
Our wage structure is one of the highest in the trona patch and it didn’t get there by accident.
Collective bargaining is what locked in:
• Guaranteed raises every year
• Protection from wage freezes
• Protection from “market adjustments” that always somehow benefit the company more than workers
• Protection from being undercut by non-union labor
You’re not stuck hoping management “does the right thing” at bonus time.
Your wages are written into the contract language that the company is legally required to honor.
Membership protects that bargaining power.
Bargaining power protects your raises.
Your raises protect your livelihood.
2. The Retirement Package That Actually Means Something
A pension is rare these days, especially in Wyoming.
Most people have to cross their fingers and hope a 401(k) grows enough to retire on. Not here.
Your contract provides:
• A defined pension plan, where benefits don’t vanish when the stock market takes a hit.
• A 401(k) and Roth 401(k) option (no match, but still available and protected).
Your pension isn’t luck.
It’s not generosity.
It’s something the union has held onto in every negotiation even when the company tried to water it down.
If you’ve ever talked to a retiree, they’ll tell you the same thing:
Without the union, the pension would be long gone.
3. Holiday Pay That Actually Takes Care of You
Most companies give the bare minimum for holidays. Some don’t give anything at all unless you actually work.
Your contract gives you one of the best holiday structures in the region:
• 8 hours straight-time holiday pay even if you’re off
• Double time for the first 8 hours worked
• Triple time for holiday hours after 8
That’s real money.
That’s real protection for workers who sacrifice time with their families.
Holiday pay is often the first thing companies try to chip away at in negotiations.
It stays protected because the union has the strength to say NO.
4. Insurance That Saves You Thousands
We all know what private health insurance costs. It’s insane.
But because of collective bargaining, you have:
• Health
• Dental
• Vision
• Life
• AD&D
• Short-term disability
• Long-term disability
This is a huge financial win. If you’ve ever priced these benefits privately, you know how fast costs stack up.
These benefits don’t stay strong because the company is feeling generous.
They stay strong because members protect them.
5. Double Time Protections for Your Days Off
Your contract guarantees double time on your second scheduled day off if you worked the first.
That’s not something a company voluntarily offers.
That’s something workers earned.
And once again the more members we lose, the harder it is to protect pay structures like this.
6. A Fair Path Forward — Not a Favorites Game
Let’s be real:
Without seniority rules, job postings, and upgrade protections, promotions would be based on favoritism.
Your contract gives you:
• Transparent job posting processes
• Seniority-based time-off selection
• Seniority-based awarding
• Upgrade pay protection
• Guardrails against supervisor favoritism
You don’t have to worry about being passed over for someone’s buddy.
You don’t have to guess what the rules are.
The rules are written down in your contract.
Membership keeps them that way.
7. Callback & Holdover Protections That Make a Real Difference
When you get called back after leaving the site, your contract guarantees:
• A 4-hour minimum at overtime rates
This matters in the dead of winter.
It matters when production is pushing.
It matters when staffing gets tight.
Again, without strength at the bargaining table, this protection wouldn’t exist.
8. The Bigger Picture: Why Membership Strength Matters
Some people think, “I get all the same benefits whether I pay or not.”
Legally in a right-to-work state, that’s true.
But here’s the part people forget:
The contract only stays strong if enough people stay committed to it.
When membership drops:
• The company gains leverage
• Negotiations get weaker
• Benefits become targets
• Raises get smaller
• Protections start to disappear
It doesn’t happen overnight.
But piece by piece, the contract gets watered down.
That’s what the company wants.
They won’t say it out loud, but they benefit when the union gets weaker.
Membership is the only thing that prevents that.
9. If You’ve Stepped Away, You’re Always Welcome Back
No judgement. No pressure. No weirdness.
We’re all adults.
Life happens.
Budgets get tight.
People get frustrated.
You can rejoin anytime. You’re never “out.” You’re never “cut off.”
We want everyone to feel connected and supported not talked down to.
If you ever have questions, concerns, or frustrations, we want to hear them.
That’s how we fix problems and get better.
10. The Bottom Line
Paying dues isn’t about funding a union.
It’s about protecting your paycheck, your benefits, your retirement, and your future.
Every single item we listed above was fought for.
Negotiated.
Defended.
Protected.
Held onto.
Strengthened.
Not by luck by members.
And the more of us who stay committed, the stronger we bargain.
The stronger we bargain, the stronger your contract becomes.
That’s the truth.