Workers at TruStage Financial Group, formerly CUNA Mutual Group, say they will reject the employer’s offer if put to a vote this month, according to a recent press release. TruStage workers, represented by the Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 39, have been bargaining with TruStage since March 2022 for a successor collective bargaining agreement. Negotiations broke down at the end of 2022, leading to the union filing numerous unfair labor practice claims with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) and a two-week strike in May–June of this year. In July, the NLRB found merit in the first of the union’s claims and ordered the company to turn over bargaining and representation information they had withheld from the union.
Since the strike, negotiations have resumed but have not progressed toward a deal viewed as satisfactory by the union. Aug. 14 marked 500 days without a contract. The union anticipates that TruStage will present a “last, best, final” offer in the coming weeks. In anticipation of an offer, OPEIU 39 held a meeting on Thursday, Aug. 17 with hundreds of union members, going through the employer’s entire proposal as it stands. Following the presentation of the employer’s proposal, the union polled membership reactions to the offer.
The union and company return to the bargaining table on Tuesday, Aug. 22 with a federal mediator. If members vote down the company’s proposal, the parties would return for another round of negotiations.
