Lake Michigan Credit Union workers successfully unionize

Front-line staffers of a Lake Michigan Credit Union branch have successfully unionized after a brief and contentious organizing push.

Members of the LMCU Workers Alliance confirmed their decision to organize and join the Communications Workers of America in a 7-5 vote on Monday, after first notifying upper management at the $11.8 billion-asset institution in Caledonia, Michigan, of the group's intent via a letter on Dec. 12. The CWA is a national labor organization that advocates on behalf of those working in the communications industry as well as health care, public service, education and more.

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Alongside the launch of the campaign, the group submitted a petition to the National Labor Relations Board to organize and officiate an election that would confirm its assembly with the CWA. It established a Dec. 16 deadline for credit union executives to voluntarily recognize the group and avoid the referendum — prompting the credit union leaders to vocalize that "outside unions have their own agenda, are divisive and are unnecessary for us to maintain our high employment standards and customer service."

Ivan Diaz, a member service representative at LMCU and a member of the Workers Alliance, stressed how the recent victory will help address concerns of employee burnout, stagnant wages, underappreciation of the credit union's bilingual staffers and more during upcoming performance reviews and bargaining sessions.

"Before the union, we had to deal with [wage discussions] one-on-one and now, with the union, we can talk with a collective voice and fight for better wages and benefits. … In a month or so, we're going to be doing our own self evaluations and then speaking to management in March about what our yearly raises should look like," Diaz said. "With inflation running as high as 9% in some places, a 2% or 3% yearly raise was nothing and we're effectively getting a pay cut every year."

Executives with LMCU did not comment before American Banker's deadline.

Similar concerns shared by employees across the financial services industry have led to successful movements for unionization, with recent examples including the $38 million-asset Genesee Co-Op Federal Credit Union in Rochester, New York, and the $1.6 billion-asset Beneficial State Bank in Oakland, California.

In cases like these, organizers have enlisted the help of experts with the Committee for Better Banks, a coalition founded by the CWA that includes bank workers, labor organizations and consumer advocacy groups, who are well versed in navigating the requirements necessary for a successful campaign.

Nick Weiner, co-director of the CBB, said in an earlier interview with American Banker that many employees who navigate the unionization process do so out of a desire for overall improvements in working conditions and a passion for their work, rather than disdain.

"People get mad at their company, but people don't organize unions because they hate their job even if they may be stressed out and miserable. … They actually want to love their job, and so they organize a union so they can fulfill their dream about the job that they do," Weiner said.

As the year progresses, the Workers Alliance hopes that its success inspires others across LMCU and the financial services industry to collectively voice their concerns and advocate for change.

"We've worked hard to join together to form this union, so that we can create a work environment at LMCU that reflects and respects the hard work we do for our customers. … With a voice on the job, we are able to speak up on the issues that would have otherwise been neglected," Anaisa Sanchez, a teller at LMCU and member of the Workers Alliance, said in a Friday press release. "It is exciting to see the ripple effect of bank workers across the country who are fighting for the same thing, and we are incredibly proud to be a part of this movement."