On average union members pay $600 per year in dues(around 17 billion a year in total dues collected from members nationally).Most union members think their dues go to providing better representation at the bargaining table.But most unions now spend substantially more of their members money on politics and other non contract related activities(estimated 800 million in the last election and another 100 million in pac contributions) and most members have no say or idea how their money is being spent.Almost half of union members work for some form of government.The social and legislative agenda unions push these days look nothing like our fathers labor movement of hard hats and assembly line workers.