CUNA Mutual Group’s Union Employees On Strike

The union that represents more than 450 employees at CUNA Mutual Group called a strike that began at 12:01 a.m. Central Time Friday, the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 39 said.

Pickets will run from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. beginning Friday in front of the Madison, Wis.-based CUNA Mutual Group (CMG) offices at 5810 Mineral Point Rd. and will continue Monday as the strike resumes.

“The Union and Company were scheduled for mediation this week in hopes that negotiations could advance to a point where a strike would be averted. Last week, CMG requested an additional mediation session to be held Monday, May 15, but cancelled just hours before the meeting was scheduled. Only two mediation sessions were held prior to the strike, Tuesday May 16 and Wednesday May 17,” Joe Evica, chief steward for OPEIU Local 39 at CUNA Mutual Group and member of the union’s bargaining committee, explained in a prepared statement.

The union also said it was prepared to stay to bargain one by one through every issue until progress could be made, but CMG requested to end federal mediation after providing its counterproposal.

Both sides earlier agreed to use a federal mediator to help broker a new labor deal.

The union also said it requested CMG provide additional dates to meet but it declined.

In a prepared statement, CMG said its bargaining team had thoughtful conversations, listened carefully to the issues outlined by the union and talked through complex issues facing the company, customers and employees.

“We have provided proposals that address the issues and have continued to make changes to move toward an agreement with the union,” CMG said.

CMG said it addressed the major issues the union has identified including wages, health care, remote work and retirement. CMG, however, did not say in its prepared statement whether it addressed the union’s concerns over outsourcing and contractor usage.

“In the early 2000s, CUNA Mutual Group/TruState employed nearly 1,700 union members. Since then, they have been on a crusade to outsource and contract out our jobs,” the union said on its website. “Jobs are outsourced for a few years, only to return to the company, who then hides those positions from the union and fills them with non-union employees. Contractors are brought on to help with short-term projects or to fill empty positions when no suitable candidate can be found, both of which are contractually limited to one year. Yet there are many contractors who have been at CMFG/TruState for more than four years and several that have been here longer than 10 years. We need job security to feel confident in our future and to provide long term, stable employment that frows and enriches our communities.”

More than 3,700 CUNA Mutual employees are not members of the union.

CMG said it respects the decision of employees to strike and to voice their opinions throughout the process.

“We are determined to reach a fair and market-competitive agreement that meets the needs of our employees, our customers and company,” CMG said. We have an 80-year relationship with the union, which has been part of our history and will be part of our future. CUNA Mutual Group will continue to bargain in good faith to reach an agreement.”

CMG said it recognizes the strike may present questions to customers, business partners and the community.

“We have business resiliency plans in place to ensure uninterrupted service to our customers while we continue negotiations with the Union,” CMG said.