dues

There’s a culture of paying dues in stand-up comedy.

Members say their annual dues of about $700 are still worth it.

“I know I have to pay my dues,” she says, “but it’s difficult finding a job that uses my degree in the way I imagined.”

That big-labor bosses favor Democratic candidates isn’t news, but some unionized workers might be interested—and startled—to learn how much of their dues money is going to politics.

In short order, the Salomon Brothers trading floor gave birth to small markets in bonds funded by all sorts of strange stuff: credit card receivables, aircraft leases, auto loans, health club dues.