The Wisconsin Credit Union League board of directors said it affirmed its commitment to CUNA/league dual membership, according to a prepared statement released by the league Tuesday.
The Wisconsin league said it signed a "resolution of interdependence" at a special November board meeting, making it the seventh state association to publicly support CUNA's controversial dual membership requirement.
The CUNA board ignited an industry-wide debate after voting to maintain its longstanding dual membership requirement despite a final recommendation by the CUNA System Structure and Governance Task Force to offer credit unions membership choice in CUNA and/or a league.
Since the CUNA board's controversial decision on Sept. 18, the boards for the Michigan Credit Union League, the League of Southeastern Credit Unions, the Ohio Credit Union League and the Carolinas Credit Union League voted to allow their credit union members to join their state trade organizations without requiring them to join CUNA beginning in 2016. The Georgia Credit Union League and the New York Credit Union Association are also considering whether to allow membership choice.
The membership controversy led CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussle to direct his management staff last month to draft new bylaws to modernize its membership structure.
According to a summary document of an Oct. 20 CUNA board meeting obtained by CU Times, Nussle said he believes there is a need to re-evaluate the board's decision on membership choice.
Nussle said he plans to reconsider the CUNA Structure and Governance Task Force recommendations and bring the revised bylaws back to the CUNA board for discussion and consideration at its December board meeting.
In addition to the Wisconsin league, other leagues that have publicly supported maintaining CUNA's dual membership requirement include the Cornerstone Credit Union League, the Mountain West Credit Union Association, the Northwest Credit Union Association, the Maine Credit Union League, the Credit Union Association of New Mexico and the Credit Union Association of the Dakotas.
"Our league board's action to support not only the interdependence of the leagues and CUNA, but also the dual membership model, is based on a firm belief that advocacy is significantly enhanced when we all work together with one focus in mind: Removing barriers that limit credit unions' ability to serve their members," Wisconsin League President/CEO Brett Thompson said. "The dual membership model gives us the best opportunity to be successful in that endeavor."
© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.
