I have been a member of the UFCW Retail Clerks for thirty years. I work for and do the hiring for a major supermarket chain based in New Jersey. It is required of a new hire to join the union that represents myself as well as the workers in my store. As a part time new hire (we only hire part-time)they are required to pay a 75-$80.00 "initiation fee" taken out after 30 days at $10/$25 a week until it is paid. In addition they are required to pay union dues at a rate of $7.65 per week starting with their fifth paycheck. They are "forced" to make these payments to the union if they want a job. Period. This may differ slightly from the story but my point is...it goes on. Many of these workers are desperate for a job and agree to making the payments to the union just to be employed. There are NO medical benefits, NO decent rate of pay (minimum wage), NO job security, NO real contractual benefits to speak of (many never having seen a contract) and 16-20 hours per week, minus taxes and union dues.
With the laws given to employees by the federal government these days being a union member is a detrement to the individual, when it comes to winning greivances or lawsuits against an employer or the union as the NLRB pretty much always sides with the union. So the employee has NO representation but must pay his dues.
Thats the way it is.