Membership Dues and Collection of Per Capita Tax Roster

Branch members sometimes contact the NALC Membership Department with questions regarding the dues payments of members who are receiving payments through the Office of Workers’ Compensation (OWCP) and who may or may not have retired from the Postal Service.

Active members on OWCP who remain on the branch’s dues roster in a no dues deduction (NO-DED) status because they have not been separated from the Postal Service:

NALC Headquarters deducts the national per capita and state dues from the branch’s reimbursement check for NO-DED members; Headquarters does not deduct local dues. The branch may seek full dues payment (national, state, and local dues) from NO-DED members.

Members on OWCP who are separated from the Postal Service:

These members will show up on the branch’s bi-weekly dues roster as separated from USPS employment (SEP). Members listed as SEP because they are on OWCP have the option of retaining their membership in NALC. These members will fall into one of two categories:

1. If they have not yet retired, they must pay active letter carrier dues until they apply and obtain retirement status from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). The branch will notify the Membership Department in writing that the member intends to continue membership in NALC. After notification, the Membership Department will list the member on the semi-annual per capita tax call, which bills branches semi-annually for national and state dues for members who are not on the dues withholding roster. It is the branch’s responsibility to collect dues—national, state and local (unless the branch has a policy under which some or all of the dues will be waived)—remitting the national and state portion to NALC Headquarters.

2. Members who retire and receive wage-loss compensation from OWCP in lieu of OPM retirement benefits also must be placed on the semi-annual per capita tax call as the Department of Labor does not allow for dues deductions from OWCP payments. The branch must notify the Membership Department in writing that the member does not receive an annuity payment from OPM, but instead receives payments from OWCP, and that the member should appear on the semi-annual per capita tax roster.

When a branch has a member who has failed to pay dues and the branch seeks to discontinue the member, the branch secretary must notify National Headquarters in writing and include evidence that the branch has attempted to bill the member for the dues owed prior to requesting removal from the rolls.

Important: The Branch secretary completes the semi-annual branch per capita tax roster twice a year. Per capita tax rosters are sent each July and December to the Branch.

Note: If you are on OWCP your dues are not deducted from the Department of Labor. You must make arrangements with the Branch (Financial Secretary) to pay your dues. The branch sends out Dues Owed Letters to a member, usually 2-3 times a year, who is in a leave without pay status, when they fall behind in their dues. Please call the Branch (631-789-1616) if any questions and ask to speak to me, the Financial Secretary.

Be safe and keep smiling.