Autonomized Union

Dear Supporters,

Thank you to everyone who has recently signed our petition! Your support is invaluable. A union is nothing without its members, and standing together is the only way to ensure our voices are heard.

I wanted to provide an update regarding my communication with the TWU International Administrative Committee. Thom McDaniel, the International Vice President, responded to my letter urging the IAC to reject the proposed dues increase. Unfortunately, he redirected me to our local leadership, as we are an autonomized union. While I had hoped for a different response, I wasn’t surprised by this outcome. Because of our autonomy, the international leadership is hands-off when it comes to dues matters.

I have since forwarded that email to our local leadership, raising concerns about our autonomy and holding them accountable for adhering to our local by-laws, the TWU constitution, and governing laws such as the LMRDA, while also addressing potential violations. I am currently awaiting their response and have included the original email below for transparency.

Subject: Formal Objection to Unlawful Dues Increase and Failure of Leadership

Executive Board Members of Local 579,

I am forwarding an email I originally sent to the TWU International Administrative Committee, which International Vice President Thom McDaniel has now redirected back to you. Since no accountability has been taken at the International level, I am once again raising my formal objection to the Local 579 Executive Board’s proposed dues increase—and more urgently, to the deeply flawed, undemocratic process surrounding it.

Let me be clear: what began as a questionable proposal has now devolved into a blatant disregard for union democracy, transparency, and federal law under the Labor-Management Reporting and Disclosure Act (LMRDA).

Despite repeated concerns raised via email in January and again at the March 26th membership meeting, the Board has chosen to push forward with this amendment without the approval or consent of the very members it affects. Treasurer Steven Miller attempted to shift responsibility onto the International Administrative Committee at that meeting, claiming that the decision rested with them now—yet the Local 579 Executive Board had already unanimously approved the amendment without consulting the membership at all.

Autonomy is not a blank check. The Local’s independence does not exempt this Executive Board from compliance with our bylaws, the TWU Constitution, and most critically, federal labor law. Your handling of this process is an abuse of that autonomy.

You are relying on a selective reading of ARTICLE XVII – Finances in the TWU Constitution, specifically a clause that allows the IAC to use average wage calculations. But that provision does not override the clear limitation in Section 1(c), which states:

“No member shall be required to pay a monthly dues increase of more than Four Dollars per year unless the increase results from a promotion, longevity pay increase, or a step-up in a wage scale…”

Local 556, adhered to this $4 cap. Yet Local 579 is attempting a far more aggressive increase—without proper justification, without an emergency basis, and without a member vote.

Worse still, this action violates LMRDA Section 101(a)(3)(A), which mandates:

“Dues… shall not be increased by a local labor organization unless such dues… have been authorized by a majority vote by secret ballot of the members in good standing voting at a general or special membership meeting, after reasonable notice of the intention to vote upon such question…”

There was no vote. There was no notice. Instead, you quietly posted the amendment on the union website, “by following our local by-laws”, without alerting members, and only issued a half-hearted apology after a member happened to discover it. Your follow-up infographics and justifications do not substitute for a legal, democratic vote.

Let me be clear: this isn’t just a procedural misstep. It is a direct violation of federal labor law and a betrayal of the trust members place in their leadership. This Board has failed to uphold even the basic standards of transparency and accountability.

I am calling on the Executive Board of Local 579 to:

• Immediately retract or revise the proposed amendment;
• Recalculate the dues increase to remain within the allowable cap;
• And, if you still intend to move forward with any adjustment, conduct a proper vote by secret ballot after giving members adequate notice, as explicitly required by LMRDA 101(a)(3)(A).

By now, you are well aware of the growing opposition. Our petition on Change.org opposing this dues increase has already collected 448 signatures, and counting. This effort is not symbolic—it’s a clear message from your membership. The fight will continue until you, our local leadership, begin listening to the very members who voted you into office. We will not stop organizing, collecting signatures, and educating others about this injustice until it is corrected.

If this Board chooses to proceed without correcting course, I and other concerned members are prepared to formally petition the International Executive Council (IEC) to retain the $2 annual dues increase cap, in defense of both fiscal responsibility and the democratic rights of our membership.

The members of Local 579 deserve honest leadership—leaders who respect the rule of law and the voices of those they serve. Hiding behind autonomy while flouting your legal and ethical obligations is not leadership. It’s a failure.

I will follow this email with an analysis of the most recent LM-2 financial disclosure, which further undermines any justification for this increase—especially on the eve of upcoming elections and future negotiations.

Furthermore, I am requesting a formal response from the Executive Board addressing the clear violation of the LMRDA. While the Board may claim it is following the TWU Constitution and Local bylaws, it must be emphasized that federal law supersedes both. The LMRDA was enacted specifically to protect union members from precisely this kind of overreach.

In fact, nowhere in the TWU Constitution is there language governing how dues increases must be enacted—only how dues are calculated. Therefore, if a local wishes to amend its dues structure, it must do so through a bylaw amendment—one that complies fully with the provisions of the LMRDA. The Local Executive Board is not only bound by our governing documents, but more importantly, by federal law and its obligations to the membership.

Respectfully,
 Adeline Conner
 Member, TWU Local 579