[cool_dude85]

Your buddy was a bag boy paying "basically the entirety of his pay check" in union dues? Let's be specific here. How much in pay and how much in dues?

[Melatonic]

I highly doubt this - everytime I have heard people complain about this it terns out to be a percentage of their paycheck (which is pretty standard for all unions - rarely it is a flat fee).

What potentially could be a whole paycheck are the payments for healthcare that is provided by the union

[ericd]

That’s pretty bad, though - if I’m in my 20s and in good health, I’d definitely prioritize, say, rent over high-end health insurance.

[pjmlp]

Age doesn't prevent an accident to happen, and then someone has to pay those hospital fees or the recovery months without being able to work.

[Melatonic]

As far as I know it would be optional like any healthcare

[bombcar]

Or the "union signup" fee that is charged on your first paycheck, and eats your paycheck if you're minwage.

[cool_dude85]

I've never heard of a "union signup" fee (that's not to say it doesn't exist) but the person who posted it claims his buddy was paying every month.

edit: Looked it up in my state, they are limited here to $15.

[bombcar]

Apparently they call it an "initiation fee" for some people.