Yes. Union dues will need to increase regardless of whether RCMMA affiliates with the Society.

RCMMA is already operating on a very tight budget, with little room to reduce expenses without affecting the services members rely on. The costs of representing members, administering our collective agreement, and preparing for and conducting future rounds of bargaining continue to rise.

Under the current flat-rate dues structure of $25 per paycheque, members pay significantly different percentages of their income:

• Lowest-paid members: approximately 1.25%
• Average member: approximately 0.63%
• Highest-paid members: approximately 0.51%

The vast majority of members currently pay about 0.63% of their earnings in dues.

If the affiliation vote is unsuccessful, members will still need to consider a dues increase to ensure RCMMA remains financially sustainable. The likely proposal would be to move from the current flat-rate system to a percentage-based dues structure of approximately 1% of earnings, which is similar to the Society’s current dues rate.

This change is necessary to ensure that RCMMA has sufficient resources to continue providing effective member representation, administering our collective agreement, and preparing for future rounds of bargaining.

The key point is that a dues increase is needed regardless of the outcome of the affiliation vote.