At the end of Mike Welch's June 30th Publisher's Column ("Leading Credit Union Conversion Advocate Cries Foul"), he has an excellent "Gotcha!" on my letter-to-the-editor in the June 2, 2004 issue ("Union Not the Bad Guys.") Essentially, he says that if the union members can take credit for a good year at CUNA Mutual, it follows "that in those years that the company didn't fare nearly as well on the bottom line that the union members on staff also played a role in that development." That may well be true. However, to offset a not-so-good year in 2001-02, union members agreed to not take a pay raise due them, gave up bonuses, personal leave, sick leave and vacations to bring the company back into the black. In fact, so far into the black that 2003-04 was the best, most profitable year in CUNA Mutual's history. But, instead of rewarding union members for their sacrifices, management is demanding that the union take $7 million in further give-backs and insist that it sign a proposal with language that would, in effect, do away with the union. How `bout them apples? Chuck Eikel CUNA Mutual Group – Retired Union Negotiator, OPEIU Local 39 Madison, Wis.