Readers Speak Out on CUNA Restructuring
October 16, 2015 8:23 PM
Industry stakeholders criticize the largest credit union trade groups resistance to change.
Are you passionate about credit unions? Then Credit Union Journal wants to hear from you.
At cujournal.com, you can do more than just read about the news you can have your say about it, too. Leave comments on specific articles and spark a discussion on the issues that mean the most to you.
Not surprisingly, recent comments have focused on changes that are being made or not being made at CUNA related to the dual CUNA/state league membership requirement, associate memberships and more. Read on to see excerpts of some of your colleagues' latest comments. Then go to cujournal.com and post some of your own thoughts.
<a href="http://www.cujournal.com/news/growth-strategies/cuna-board-rejects-key-recommendations-on-structure-governance-1024993-1.html" target="_blank">CUNA Board Rejects Key Recommendations on Structure, Governance</a>
Before my retirement I worked in the credit union movement for more than 40 years and served on league and CUNA boards. My CU was also a member of NAFCU. Every year my CU board would have heated battles on the dues vs. benefits of belonging to both organizations. The combined CUNA/league dues approached $15,000; NAFCU dues were less than $3,000. While we found benefits to membership in CUNA and NAFCU, we would find that the league left a lot to be desired. To cut expenses, we finally discontinued our membership in the league, which meant we also had to cut ties with CUNA. Had we been able to utilize CUNA and they became more involved as NAFCU was, we would have re-joined both trade associations.
Posted by tonyd1948, Sept. 22 at 5:09PM ET
<a href="http://www.cujournal.com/news/growth-strategies/out-of-touch-cus-react-to-cuna-vote-on-membership-requirement-1025058-1.html" target="_blank">Out of Touch? CUs React to CUNA Vote on Membership Requirement</a>
I agree with Jim Blaine, "the established order will not relinquish its perks and prerogatives cooperatively." The issue is not whether dual membership guarantees speaking with one voice. The issue is whether leagues and CUNA are relevant. If all leagues provided great value then this would not be an issue. The issue of retaining perks and prerogatives is at the heart of why our industry has 6,000 CUs under $100 million well below the size needed to provide the resources members need and want. The insiders, whether they are league presidents or CU presidents, will look out for their own best interests. The world is changing and yet the entrenched interests are not willing to change in order to meet the new circumstances.
Posted by henryw, Oct. 3 at 10:59AM ET
<a href="http://www.cujournal.com/news/growth-strategies/out-of-touch-cus-react-to-cuna-vote-on-membership-requirement-1025058-1.html" target="_blank">Out of Touch? CUs React to CUNA Vote on Membership Requirement</a>
I agree with Jim
to a point. Not sure all of what we see is resistance to change as much as uncertainty regarding what comes next and how priorities are protected through the upheaval. Using Jim's Syrian analogy, are we sure that what we'll have after the revolution is better than what we have now? I suspect that, for some, change would be easier to support if its proponents had better answers to that question.
Posted by jeffjones, Oct. 5 at 8:26AM ET
<a href="http://www.cujournal.com/news/growth-strategies/cuna-chief-outlines-changes-to-come-1025012-1.html" target="_blank">CUNA Chief Outlines Changes to Come</a>
So does this: "One for professionals and volunteers and one for system partners and vendors," mean a vendor can be a non-voting member of CUNA but, a credit union that can't afford an affiliation with their league can't?
Posted by smassa, Sept. 23 at 2:38PM ET
