Like everything else in this world, it takes money to run a union. The MFT&SRP needs money to operate, to maintain an office, to hire and retain staff that provide services and implement programs. The money comes from members in the form of dues. Dues are collected from members at the local level. This is, in most cases, done through payroll deduction from each pay period during the school year. The dues members pay to their local includes dues for the AFT, MFT&SRP, the AFL-CIO and dues necessary to cover the locals operating costs. To name a few, such costs could be office space, supplies, and stipends, costs for member participation in conferences, conventions, training workshops and professional development opportunities. The local forwards dues to the affiliates (AFT, MFT&SRP, AFL-CIO).

AFT dues are set by delegates to the national convention. Delegates to the state convention set MFT&SRP dues, and in the same way dues are set in the AFL-CIO. In the true democratic way, locals nominate and elect delegates to these conventions. The number of delegates to each convention is dependent first on the number of members in the local and then on the local's resources.

The AFT and the MFT&SRP have three levels of dues based on pay.