What do members get?
- A vote in union decisions
- Access to the UFAS Discord server and our email listserv
- Access to our Mutual Aid fund
- A community of labor-oriented workers at UW
- Organizing and connection opportunities locally, regionally, and nationally
What can members do?
- Find an area you’re passionate about to join our work, whether that’s equity and diversity on campus and in our union, worker compensation and benefits, learning how to guide folks through the grievance processes on campus, or helping others get to know about our union. (Or all of them!)
- Get involved in our state federation (AFT- Wisconsin, or learn more about the AFT/AFL-CIO, our umbrella organization), whether through attending convention, trainings, or board meetings.
- If you’re interested in learning more about what organizing means and how it works, check out this blog post from the “Steward’s Corner” at Union Labor News: How to Think Like An Organizer.
- And please connect with us at a meeting, on social media, or on our Discord server– you can find them all via our Linktree here: https://linktr.ee/ufas.
Join
To help build our union, click on the button below:
- You’ll be redirected to a secure website where you can sign up for membership.
- Go to the Membership tab and select “Join the Union.”
- Select your local: 0223 UFAS.
- Select your dues category. (This information is for union purposes only and will never be shared with an outside party.) Below is the UFAS dues structure. Please declare your dues tier based on your annual gross income level.
| Dues tier | Monthly dues | Annual income |
| Tier 1 | $11 | Less than $15,490 |
| Tier 2 | $13.50 | $15,490 to $18,727 |
| Tier 3 | $22 | $18,728 to $33,999 |
| Tier 4 | $31.50 | $34,000 to $45,999 |
| Tier 5 | $40.50 | $46,000 to $57,999 |
| Tier 6 | $49 | $58,000 to $69,999 |
| Tier 7 | $58 | $70,000 to $81,999 |
| Tier 8 | $67 | $82,000 to $93,999 |
| Tier 9 | $77 | $94,000 to $106,999 |
| Tier 10 | $87 | $107,000 to $119,999 |
| Tier 11 | $97 | $120,000 to $132,999 |
| Tier 12 | $130 | $133,000 to $142,999 |
| Tier 13 | $140 | $143,000 and up |
In addition, according to our by-laws, “Members who retire, resign or are not renewed can continue membership after leaving the University of Wisconsin Madison by paying $120.00 in annual dues.”
The dues are determined based on total (including summer salary of those 9-month employees who receive it) annual gross (pre-tax) salary and are collected monthly over 12 months. The dues schedule is used by everyone. Dues are not based on the amount of time you work; they are based on the amount of money you make in the 12-month period.
Example
A 12-month employee makes $47,500 in a year. A nine-month employee makes $52,000 in the year (but they make it in nine months). Both would pay dues at the Tier 5 level because both their annual salaries fall within that tier.
Need financial support?
UFAS is one of the only AFT locals using a sliding-scale dues structure; however, we know times are still tough for many of us. You can always sign up for our mutual aid program and receive up to $300/month, no questions asked: UFAS Mutual Aid fund
Update Your Membership
If you are already a member and need to update your membership, please contact the AFT-Wisconsin office. Updates include new credit cards, changes to your payment methods, or a change in your dues rate.
To update your dues, please contact Kathy Kreul, AFT-Wisconsin’s Executive Assistant, either by phone (608-662-1444) or by email (kreul@aft-wisconsin.org).
About AFT
The American Federation of Teachers is the largest higher education union in the country, representing over 130,000 higher education faculty, professional staff and graduate employees. The AFT higher education department mission is to help our affiliates and their members prosper in the face of political, economic, and technological forces challenging the most basic assumptions about the union’s role on campus. The political attack on public service in general and public higher education in particular has, in part, resulted in:
- tight budgets as well as anti-union presidents and boards of trustees;
- attacks on tenure, shared governance and academic freedom;
- exploitation of part-time/adjunct and other nontenure track faculty as well as graduate employees; and,
- increased intervention from state and federal legislators.
The AFT Higher Education Program and Policy Council, which represents the interests of higher education members to the larger organization, has developed a Strategic Plan (PDF) to focus the union’s efforts in addressing the current trends in higher education. In addition, AFT Higher Education’s policy statements on issues such as tenure, shared governance, contingent labor, teacher education and technology offer information and policy guidance, as well as arguments and negotiating strategies to advance the union agenda. AFT Higher Education’s conferences supplement these publications, as does the higher education department’s work with other AFT departments on matters that affect higher education and our locals.
Contact Information
The AFT higher education department is the primary contact for our local leaders and for other faculty who are interested in discussing AFT and higher education. If you need assistance, or are interested in discussing the possibilities of organizing with AFT, you can e-mail highered@aft.org or call 202/879-4426.
UFAS #223 