The New York Credit Union Association board of directorsunanimously decided Friday to give its credit unions the choice tojoin the association without requiring CUNA membership in 2016.

“As I shared with you previously, close to 80% of New Yorkcredit union leaders who responded to our membership surveysupported choice in membership,” Bill Mellin, president/CEO of theNew York association, said in an email letter to credit unionmembers. “Today's action by the association board demonstrates acommitment to being responsive to our members and a move forwardfor this organization.”

The New York association became the fifth league to permitchoice and its decision comes after the CUNA board of directorsdecided Thursday to modernize its bylaws to allow membershipchoice.

An intense, industry-wide debate began after the CUNA boardvoted to maintain its longstanding dual membership requirementin September despite a final recommendation from the CUNASystem Structure and Governance Task Force to offer creditunions membership choice in CUNA and/or a league.

Following CUNA's decision, the boards for the Michigan CreditUnion League, the League of Southeastern Credit Unions, the OhioCredit Union League and the CarolinasCredit Union League voted to allow their credit unionmembers to join their organizations without requiring them to joinCUNA beginning in 2016.

Proponents of membership choice argued it creates accountabilityfor both CUNA and state trade associations, allowing bothorganizations to improve the manner in which they produce resultsfor their members. That accountability, in turn, also can increasemembership engagement and advocacy on both state and federallevels, they said.

The Georgia Credit Union League and the California and NevadaCredit Union Leagues are also considering whether to allowmembership choice.

Leagues that have publicly supported maintaining CUNA'sdual membership requirement included the UtahCredit Union Association, the Wisconsin Credit Union League,the Cornerstone 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.

Leagues that favor keeping dual membership argued a united frontamong state leagues, credit unions and CUNA is critical to supportadvocacy initiatives that will protect and advance the interests ofthe credit union movement.

The controversy stemming from the choice versus dual membershipbattle led CUNA President/CEO Jim Nussle and the CUNA board toreconsider the decision to keep the dual membershiprequirement.

After meeting Thursday, the CUNA board announced it wouldmodernize its bylaws to accommodate membership choice and othermatters.

The board also acknowledged there are new and growingexpectations from credit union members, members of CUNA and theleagues, as well as demands for more direct accountability betweencredit unions and CUNA.

“Many forces of change have accelerated our decision-makingcycle and increased the urgency to act,” Nussle said in afour-minute video explaining the board's decision. “Credit unionsappropriately demand more value and options in how they affiliatewith their associations.”

The CUNA board tasked its Corporate Governance Committee tomodernize CUNA's bylaws, which will require approval fromassociation members to be enacted.

“I want to recognize the CUNA board for their leadership ininitiating the process to modernize their membership requirements,”Mellin said. “I also commend the association board for theirleadership and the approach they took in responding to our membersand working with CUNA to modernize membership requirements.”

The New York association board also reaffirmed its commitment toworking with CUNA and others to position credit unions as the bestfinancial partners for Americans, Mellin said.