WYOMING, Mich.–Just a little over a year after employees of a branch of Lake Michigan Credit Union voted to unionize, a new vote failed to get enough votes to retain the union.
According to Crain’s Grand Rapids Business, the vote by employees represented by Communications Workers of America ended in a tie.
“The National Labor Relations Board certified the election results March 13, stating in a notice to the credit union that ‘a majority of the valid ballots has not been cast for any labor organization and that no labor organization is the exclusive representative of the employees in the bargaining unit’,” Crain’s Grand Rapids Business reported.
‘Divisive’ Organization
In response, the publication said the $13.4-billion Lake Michigan Credit Union issued a statement saying, “LMCU respects the rights of employees to organize but does not support outside unions’ involvement within LMCU, as these organizations are oftentimes divisive, have their own agenda, and don’t necessarily have the best interests of its employee members at heart. The decertification allows LMCU to work directly with employees at the South Division branch rather than having to work through a third party to ensure they have the same full support and benefits, in a timely fashion, as their non-union employee counterparts.”
Union Organizer Was Fired
As CUToday.info had reported earlier, the workers said they were seeking better pay and working conditions. As CUToday.info also reported, Lake Michigan Credit Union later fired the organizer of the union drive, Ivan Diaz, who worked at the South Division branch for nearly five years and said he was told by credit union management that he committed “a violation of policy.”
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