The Miners Union League of the Jiu Valley () represents the miners of the Jiu Valley. Membership Union membership is voluntary, although it is widely accepted that all the miners are members of their respective mine's union. Union membership includes underground miners, individuals with jobs related to the mines, and retired miners. While there do not appear to be negative consequences to not joining the union, non-members are ineligible for benefits. Members pay the Union approximately 1.5% of their monthly salaries (after income tax) in basic membership fees. However, members are also required to pay other fees for Union projects. These include sponsoring the Jiul Petroşani soccer team (which the Union supports because this team represents the Jiu Valley), as well as funds for the local miner's sports clubs (almost each mine has a soccer team, though Lupeni also has a rugby team, and Aninoasa also has an archery club and a kind of bowling team). Union Organization and Leadership According to Romanian law, union representatives must be employees of the institutions/companies whose workers they represent. Once a member is elected as a union representative, he remains an employee of his respective mine. However, during his term of office in the union the union, not the mine company, pays his salary. The mine company is required by law to give union representatives unpaid leave until their elected term is over and must give them their job back when they return. The duration of a term for an elected union representative is generally 4 years. However, this may vary by individual mine union (e.g., the Paroșeni mine union's representatives are elected for 2 year terms). Each mine has its own union organization, which is divided according to the mine's functional sectors (e. g., safety, production, transportation). Each sector elects their sector union representative. These sector representatives form the mine union council, but have no power representing the union, but each represent only their respective sector on the council. However, the overall mine union leadership and representatives (e.g., union president) are elected in a general vote of all union members in the mine regardless of sector. The representatives (presidents) of each mine union form the voting council of the Liga Sindicatelor (Union League). These representatives then nominate candidates and elect the executive leadership of the Union League, i.e., President and an Executive President (equivalent of a Vice President or Executive Director). The