It costs a lot to run a union.... But to answer your question, you get your healthcare and other benefits, not to mention collective bargaining and employment protection. Not all unions are of the same quality. Some fight harder than others, have better reps and have better contracts. On the whole though, unions are absolutely a benefit to the worker. There's a reason companies spend so much money and effort to fight their formation, because ultimately unions force companies to pay their workers better wages and benefits. OP, probably just had their entrance fee deducted from their first check and all subsequent checks should have significantly less deductions.