MADISON, Wis. – At press time, the National Labor Relations Board informed both CUNA Mutual and its union that it will issue a complaint against CUNA Mutual for labor law violations. The NLRB was investigating a number of charges the union, Office of Professional Employees International Union Local 39, filed with the NLRB over the past year. The NLRB said approximately 20 of those charges had enough validity to issue a complaint. Charges include bad faith bargaining, threatening employees, bypassing the union and dealing direct with employees and unlawful interference with employees. “The NLRB investigation involved a large number of issues. We have fully cooperated. Many union allegations have been rejected, and others will be discussed between the company and NLRB representatives. The matters under investigation by the NLRB focused almost entirely on events that occurred between March and July. The company then took significant action, without any direction from the NLRB, to reaffirm employee rights protected under federal law,” said CUNA Mutual spokesperson Sydney Lindner. The NLRB charges do not carry any official legal powers forcing CUNA Mutual to make changes or penalizing the company. A union attorney said the NLRB will likely give CUNA Mutual a few weeks to rectify the problems before it files the complaint. Once the complaint is filed a hearing will be scheduled where CUNA Mutual will be given an opportunity to defend itself. If CUNA Mutual is not successful, some penalties can be handed down, though they're typically nothing more than CUNA Mutual informing employees of its violations. OPEIU Local 39 Business Manager John Peterson said the complaint was long overdue as CUNA Mutual had been getting away with violations for too long. “I hope this development will encourage CUNA Mutual Group to change its ways and bargain in good faith with the union,” said Peterson. “Hopefully saner minds on the board of directors will say `that's enough' and decide to forget all this nonsense and get a contract done.” “CUNA Mutual is committed to the bargaining process although difficult issues separate the parties,” said Lindner. [email protected]