Cheryl; (From a fellow Washingtonian,) I tried to get out of the stinkin' union at a large aircraft company I was at here in the South Puget Sound area. Mainly to get away from the Union's bureaucratic **. I won't mention the name, but if they make a hard landing they make a sound like "Boeing!!" Anyway, in Washington, if you don't join the union, you still have to pay the same amount as if you were paying dues. Let me repeat that:You still have to pay the dues, it just goes to some sort of "Association Fund", and if you change positions, get a promotion, lateral transfer, whatever, you have to go through the same exercise all over again. Good Luck , I hope you are successful. Blessings,