.02 Deduction of Organization Dues.

A. Procedure.

(1) State law authorizes the Central Payroll Bureau, on written request of a State employee, to deduct organization dues from the employee's salary or wage, in certain specified circumstances. For employees paid through the Central Payroll Bureau, the initiation of a deduction of organization dues will be honored by the Central Payroll Bureau only upon receipt by the Central Payroll Bureau of a written request of the employee, on a form approved by the Central Payroll Bureau and processed through the organization. All subsequent changes regarding the deduction shall be made by the employee in writing on a form approved by the Central Payroll Bureau and processed through the organization. An employee may cancel the payroll deduction for organization dues by notifying the Central Payroll Bureau in writing of the decision to cancel.

(2) Requests by an organization for initiation, modification, or cancellation of an employee payroll deduction of organization dues submitted to the Central Payroll Bureau by approved electronic means must include control totals and a statement certifying that the organization retains the original employee authorization form in its possession.

(3) Employees in the regular, University of Maryland, and contractual payroll systems may request a payroll deduction of organization dues.

(4) The Central Payroll Bureau shall remit to the employee's designated organization all dues deducted.

B. The Central Payroll Bureau may not honor any request for an employee payroll deduction of organization dues unless the organization:

(1) Exists for purposes other than obtaining insurance;

(2) Serves the interest of the employees and the State as an employer, as certified by the Secretary of Budget and Management; and

(3) Was granted the dues deduction privilege before June 30, 1983, or has a minimum membership of 1,000 State employees who agree to the payroll deduction for organization dues.

C. Employees who are members of smaller organizations, that is, those with a potential field of membership of less than 1,000 State employees, may be permitted to have one deduction per employee for organization dues by the Central Payroll bureau provided that:

(1) The organization meets the criteria of §B(1) and (2) of this regulation; and

(2) Not less than 50 percent of the potential field of membership of the organization agree to the payroll deduction.

D. The Central Payroll Bureau shall impose no charges for the deducting and remitting of organization dues, so long as only one deduction is used per employee. With respect to any additional deductions that are requested by an organization on behalf of its employee members, the organization shall be required to pay a reasonable charge in an amount to be established by the Central Payroll Bureau. In establishing the amount of the charge, the Central Payroll Bureau shall take into account personnel, computer, and material costs.

E. The Central Payroll Bureau shall make a deduction for organization dues only if the net amount payable to the employee exceeds the amount of the dues deduction, after first taking into account all mandatory deductions and all other voluntary deductions having a higher priority in accordance with a schedule adopted by the Central Payroll Bureau.

F. If the Central Payroll Bureau deducts, amends, or cancels the dues deduction in accordance with the written request of the employee, the Central Payroll Bureau shall be held harmless by both the employee and the organization.

G. Disputes regarding the dues deduction shall be deemed to be disputes between the employee and the organization, and shall be resolved between them.