INFO RE: PAYING DUES USING MASTERCARD, VISA OR BY DIRECT DEBIT FROM CHECKING OR SAVINGS TOPICS:

1. COSTS TO PROCESS TRANSACTIONS (FEES)

2. TIME INVOLVED FOR THE HALL TO PROCESS PAYMENTS

3. USING DEBIT CARDS CAN CAUSE HIGHER FEES

4. INELIGIBLE MEMBERS – NOT ALL MEMBERS CAN USE THE SYSTEM

1. THERE ARE FEES INCURRED TO PAY ONLINE OR BY PHONE
All fees involved are fees that are required by the bank and by the credit card processing companies.  Local #134 does not get any profit from any of these fees.
A direct charge to your checking or savings account includes a fee of $1.50.

A credit card payment includes a fee on a sliding scale.  The most common fees are as follows:

Dollar Amount of Payment Fee
100.01 thru 150.00 - $ 4.50
150.01 thru 200.00 - $ 6.00
200.01 thru 250.00 - $ 7.50
250.01 thru 300.00- $ 9.00

2. TIMING OF PAYMENTS  
If a payment is processed by you today, it can take up to 3 days for Local #134 to receive that information from the banking system used for the payments.  You are not paying Local #134 directly, but are going through the bank’s system.  Therefore, Local #134 does not have instant access to your payment data.  The normal time frame is 1-12; days, but various banking system problems could cause a delay.   Local #134 does not control this timing.  Please allow enough time to receive your working credentials through the mail.
 
 
3. USE OF DEBIT CARDS
It would appear that using a debit card would be the same as charging your payment directly to your checking account. This is not the case. If you enter the sixteen digit card number and expiration date from your debit card, the system will process your payment as if it is a credit card payment. Credit card fees are higher. An "A" card member will pay $7.50 to process his/her payment using a debit card. The same payment costs $1.50 charging it directly to their checking account. Enter your bank routing number and account number instead and save on fees.

4. INELIGIBLE MEMBERS  
No permit fees can be paid using this automated payment system.  Also, no out-of-jurisdiction members can pay by this method.

CLICK HERE TO PAY DUES ON LINE

Two recent IBEW conferences, the annual Political and Legislative meeting held in early September in Washington D.C. and the annual 6th District Progress meeting held two weeks later in Minneapolis, addressed some very critical issues. Our editors elaborate on them on page two. But above and beyond discussions and the explanation of IBEW positions and support of various legislative actions these issues generated at the conferences, there was a very strong central message at both meetings. Very simply, it was that Bush must go.

Read More

We've all had a few months off. Time to enjoy the summer weather, spend some time with our families and begin to make a dent in the never-ending list of household chores.

But as the leaves turn colors and the winds blow cooler, it's time again -- not for football, but for my favorite sport, politics.

While the outside temperature gets cooler, fall is the season when campaigns heat up. All of us have, no doubt, heard about the wide-open race among nine Democrats seeking to replace George Bush as President.

Read More