Over the course of two board meetings and extensive discussions,the Utah Credit Union Association's board of directors announcedMonday its unanimous support for CUNA's dual membershiprequirement.

The Utah was the eighth state trade association to commentpublicly that it favors requiring credit unions to become membersof CUNA when they join state leagues over allowing credit unionsthe choice to join their league, CUNA or both organizations.

The CUNA board ignited an industry-wide firestorm in Septemberafter voting to maintain its longstanding dual membershiprequirement despite a final recommendation by the CUNASystem Structure and Governance Task Force to offer creditunions membership choice in CUNA and/or a league.

Scott Simpson, president/CEO of the Utah league, said that hisboard remains unconvinced that uncoupling the relationship is amove in the right direction.

“What Utah credit unions want is a powerful, efficient andeffective voice at the state and national levels,” Simpson said.“What they don't want is a fracturing of focus and voice inWashington, and they see in this trend a strong potential forfractures.”

Simpson said he informed CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussle of the board's decision.

At the CUNA board's December meeting, Nussle is expected topropose new bylaws to modernize the trade association's membershipstructure that may include membership choice recommended by thetask force recommended.

However, Sterling Nielsen, president/CEO of the $4.8 billionMountain America Credit Union in West Jordan, said that plenty hasbeen made of the upside of membership choice, but very little hasbeen shared about the task force's thorough examination andreporting of the risks.

“Look, I hate the idea of having a limitation of choices on anydecision my credit union makes,” Nielsen said. “But I hatedissonance in advocacy more. We need constant, unrelenting effortto unite our strength. A la carte advocacy doesn't providethat.”

The CEO of Utah's largest credit union agreedwith Nielson, according to the Utah league's preparedstatement.

“No trade association efforts or offerings are going toperfectly meet the needs of every member all of the time,” JohnLund, president/CEO of the $7 billion America First Credit Union inRiverdale, said. “Can we be better? Sure. But I know that we havethis fully-tiered government relations model that is envied. Arewe, in fact, prepared to have it unstitched in this ad hoc way byhasty noise from the blogosphere?”

Other leagues thathave publicly supported maintaining CUNA's dual membershiprequirement include the Wisconsin Credit Union League, theCornerstone Credit Union League, the Mountain West Credit UnionAssociation, the Northwest Credit Union Association, the MaineCredit Union League, the Credit Union Association of New Mexico andthe Credit Union Association of the Dakotas.

Since the CUNA board's controversial decision on Sept. 18, theboards for the Michigan Credit Union League, the League ofSoutheastern Credit Unions, the Ohio Credit Union League and theCarolinas Credit Union League voted to allow their credit unionmembers to join their state trade organizations without requiringthem to join CUNA beginning in 2016.

The Georgia Credit Union League, the New York Credit UnionAssociation and the California and Nevada Credit Union Leagues saidthey are also considering whether to allow membership choice.

Leagues that are providing their credit unions with membershipchoice said they will encourage member credit unions to maintaintheir CUNA membership to support the CUNA/leagueinterdependency.

However, league CEOs have said membership choice createsaccountability for both CUNA and state trades so that bothorganizations can improve on how they get results for theirmembers. That accountability, in turn, also can improve membershipengagement and advocacy on both state and federal levels.