Flex,
I take it that while not a financial member, cpdude and others were not entitled to representation by the HKAOA. Strange then that the union should ask for payment for a time when they offered no service. No association I have ever been a part of has had such a policy.
If the AOA is hard up for members, perhaps it should have thought a little harder about insituting it's ridiculous employment ban, thus creating a large group to whom it has (up till now) denied membership.