Frequently Asked Questions

Canada Post Strike: Member dues are expected to be paid by January 7, 2025. During the Canada Post strike, we recommend that members consider other payment options such as etransfer, credit card or mail by courier.

How do I pay my dues online?

1. Sign in to your account
2. Once logged in, click on My Dashboard.
3. See the Fees and Dues section to find your member dues for 2025. Payments can be made in the following ways:

• Pay directly online
• Download your invoice and select your preferred method of payment: etransfer, cheque, credit card
• Please note, you must should completed your MCE credits to access and download your invoice.

What are my member dues for 2025?

* Note: Full members also pay $240 CSLA dues in 2024; $260 in 2025. Semi-retired pay 75%. Interns also pay $30 CSLA Intern dues in 2024; $35 in 2025.

Member dues are due by January 7th 2025.  After that date, a 10% late fee will be added.

Do I need to be logged in to pay my dues/access my invoice?

Yes, you must be logged into the member area to view your dues and process payment. Please sign in to access your member dashboard.

What if my employer pays my dues, can they login on my behalf?

No, it is a member's responsibility to pay their dues. All members must login to download their invoice and submit it to their employer for payment.

Can the OALA send me a PDF of my invoice?

No. The Member must confirm their member contact information and confirm they have completed their MCE credits to receive their invoice. The invoice can only be generated once the Member logs in and provides this information.

Why can't I view my invoice when I click on the Pay Dues button?

Prior to viewing your invoice online, all Members are asked to confirm certain details and demographics. These sections must be completed before you can view any outstanding fees.

Once you have completed all sections noted on the left-hand side, you will be able to pay your dues online or download your invoice to make payment by cheque or etransfer.

I am retired, do I need to pay member dues?

• Yes, if you changed status to Full Member – Retired on January 1, 2020 or after. Full Members – Retired changed to this status January 1, 2020 or later, pay annual member dues that are 20% of Full member dues.
• Dues are optional, if you changed status to Full Member – Retired on December 31, 2019 or before.

Through legacy, these members may choose to pay the Full Member – Retired dues.

The changes to membership options were approved by OALA Membership at the 2019 AGM and came into force January 2020.

Read more about OALA Membership Categories

Why does it say I owe fees when I already paid my 2025 member dues?

If paid your dues by etransfer or cheque, OALA staff will manually update your account once payment has been received and deposited. This may take a few weeks to appear updated in your account.

What are CSLA dues?

Once you become a member of OALA, you automatically become a member of the CSLA, the national association body. The OALA collects annual dues on behalf of the CSLA. Learn more about the role of CSLA and the benefits of membership.

What if I pay my CSLA dues in another Canadian jurisdiction?

Full, Intern and Semi-Retired members are also charged CSLA dues. As you complete the payment wizard, please click that you pay your CSLA dues in another jurisdiction. The system will ask you to enter the name of the jurisdiction. Once this has been completed, you will not be charged CSLA dues through the OALA.

Do I need to complete my Mandatory Continuing Education (MCE) credits to access my invoice?

Yes, the new OALA website requires you to confirm you have completed your Mandatory Continuing Education (MCE) credits before accessing your invoice. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to [email protected]. 

How do I update my Mandatory Continuing Education (MCE)?

• Member MCE activities were imported from the previous website.
• You can always leave the MCE pages and come back later to add more activities.
• MCE statements are locked after you submit the statement. If your statement is locked and you need to make changes, please contact us.
• To update MCE: sign in, click My Dashboard. Scroll down to the Mandatory Continuing Education section and click the statement you want to update.

My MCE credit requirement is 0. How do I submit my statement and access my invoice?

If your MCE credit requirement is 0, you may click on the start to complete your MCE. Then just click through to save and submit. By doing this, you have submitted your MCE statement with the required amount of 0.

How do I apply to reclassify or resign from the Association?

To apply to reclassify or resign from the Association, log into your member dashboard and click on the blue 'Apply to join, reclassify' button under the Application History section.

From the dropdown menu, select whether you wish to apply to reclassify or resign from the Association and complete the application wizard.

You will receive a confirmation email once the application to reclassify, resign or drop has been completed by staff. Once the required reviews have been completed, the application will be approved and member dues for 2025 will be updated to match the new member category.