The media blitz scheduled this week to highlight achievements of cooperatives is taking a slightly different tone amongst credit unions in Oregon and Washington state.

In a weekend notice to media in the two states, the Northwest Credit Union Association said it will demur from “pitching stories about ourselves” but rather highlight the achievements of the cooperative movement as a whole.

Those health, housing and farm co-ops in the region, the NWCUA said in a statement, have over the years offered consumers “better prices, better service and local control” resulting in big savings.

Without mentioning Bank Transfer Day specifically, the NWCUA statement thanked the media “for your insightful news coverage of the economic crisis and the call to action by consumers.”   That news coverage led to the phenomenon of consumers “joining cooperative financial institutions” in large numbers resulting in “4 million members receiving a combined $170 million in financial benefits, a savings of nearly $200 per family.”

The NWCUA did not explain how it arrived at those calculations.

The trade group stressed that it wants the media to look at the achievements of co-ops, providing a list of 40 co-ops which provide a “limitless” range of products and services and which deserve press coverage.

“From the oil spill mitigation to a newly formed brewery, the cooperative business model” in the Northwest works effectively, declared NWCUA CEO John Annaloro.

The NWCUA added that it is “encouraging you to report on some of the amazing local cooperatives that are saving money,”

Meanwhile, CUNA said it is also taking part in the nationwide co-op promotion, alerting CUs to start posting favorable stories on the industry starting this Thursday as part of a call by the National Cooperative Business Association. 

The NCBA said its media call coincides with promotion of the International Year of the Cooperative as proclaimed by the United Nations.