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Dues are only $23.25 per pay period, which is about $11.63 a week.
Why do the dues we pay matter to all of us?
Your Dues Make a Difference!
A portion of every member’s dues comes back to our local, helping us grow and strengthen our foundation. As a newer local, we’re still shaping how these funds are allocated—and your voice matters in that process.
By paying dues, you gain the right to vote on these crucial decisions and help set the guidelines that will define our local’s future. Dues-paying members also have access to training sessions, conferences, and the opportunity to volunteer for one of many roles within Local 1890.
The more active and trained members we have, the stronger and more secure our local becomes—creating a better future for all represented staff. Join us, get involved, and help build something lasting!
More Than Just a Vote—It’s About Strength
The most powerful message we can send to NIU is that our local is united and strong. When our stewards and officers stand at the table, they need the backing of all 500 represented employees.
When we reach 100% dues participation, NIU knows we mean business. Every action we take to secure better working conditions and fair wages becomes more effective. Paying dues isn’t just about representation, it’s about making sure our voices are heard loud and clear during negotiations. It takes all of us to make this union work. Your support strengthens our position and shapes the future for all of us.
Union Power = Pay Protection
Because of your local union, employees in the unit have received 3% raises every year since 2018.
In 2022, the NIU Board of Trustees offered a 3% raise. We said that it wasn’t enough. We negotiated an additional 0.5%–3.0% increase for every member. Some saw twice the raise the Board gave out. Every. Single. One. of our members got more than the baseline. Because when we say we fight for more—we mean it!
In 2023, the NIU Board of Trustees handed out a 6% raise. But our members deserve more. We negotiated up to an additional 4% raise for the lowest paid members of our unit. Because those making the least needed the most—and we made sure they got it. This wasn’t a handout. This is the equity we fight for.
In 2024, the NIU Board of Trustees approved a 5% raise. But it fell short.
We secured the same 5% raise—plus $482,000 in bonuses distributed directly to our members. And we didn’t stop there. We also negotiated $133,000 to address pay inversion, making sure experienced employees weren’t making less than newer hires.
Raises. Bonuses. Equity.
That’s what we fight for.
In 2025, the NIU Board of Trustees approved another 3% raise. It didn’t meet the needs of our members. We matched the 3% and then added $482,000 to members’ base pay based on longevity. We made sure your years of service weren’t just noticed, they were rewarded. Because dedication deserves dollars.
Your Dues at Work: Training, Representation, and Growth
A portion of dues goes to Council 31 (regional level) which provides support to help our local build our vested membership, represents our more serious cases with management, negotiate terms of our collective bargaining agreements, and provide training to your officers, stewards, membership chairs, and other vital union roles. This support is critical to Local 1890 because becoming an active union is still new to us. There is still a lot for us to learn and navigate. We have been a union for less than a decade.
Take a moment to explore the Council 31 (Illinois) website, you’ll see firsthand how much they do to protect and advance the rights of civil service employees across the state.
Your Dues Help Fight for Fairness
In 2015, Illinois State Employees represented by AFSCME worked without a contract after the previous Governor declared an impasse. He froze wages and illegally prevented employees from advancing in the pay plan for four years. AFSCME took the case to court to keep negotiations open. In July 2023, Governor Pritzker and AFSCME ratified their new contract, voted for by an overwhelming majority of union members. What happens to state employees impacts NIU employees too. The dues we pay help fund these battles—just as they help us fight ours. AFSCME is relentless in defending its members’ rights.
Your Dues Protect Your Benefits
A portion of our dues allocated to AFSCME’s International, National, and State-level efforts helps secure benefits like sick leave, vacation days, and medical insurance for our members. Did you know that former Governor Rauner attempted to raise state employees’ medical insurance premiums so we would have paid $6,000 out of pocket before co-pays even applied? It would have been the worst insurance package in the country! Thankfully AFSCME lawyers fought that proposal for over two years and won. Because NIU has the same insurance plan as Illinois State Employees, the dues that funded that fight directly protected your premiums and coverage from skyrocketing.
You can read the AFSCME Local 1890 current contract on the NIU HRS website to become familiar with your rights as an employee within our unit.
While you are not required to pay dues, please recognize we stand stronger and have a louder voice when we all stand together- in solidarity.
Dues are only $23.25 per pay period, which is about $11.63 a week.
Don’t put it off. Don’t wait. Join today. Help us help you.
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