NLRB: TruStone Financial FCU Violated Federal Labor Law

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has ruled against TruStone Financial Federal Credit Union (Plymouth, MN) in a dispute over the credit union's decision to close two branch offices that were staffed by unionized employees, and then to reopen branches nearby with non-union employees.

TruStone notified Office and Professional Employees International Union (OPEIU) Local 12 in 2015 that the credit union would close its Golden Valley and Apple Valley locations and open two new branch offices nearby. TruStone said the Golden Valley and Apple Valley union employees could apply to transfer to another bargaining unit location or apply for a job at the “new” facilities, which the credit union declared would be non-union.

OPEIU Local 12 filed unfair labor practice charges with the NLRB.

The administrative law judge found that the credit union's actions violated Federal labor law.

To remedy TruStone’s unlawful actions, the NLRB judge ordered:

• TruStone must apply its collective bargaining agreement with OPEIU Local 12 to the two relocated branch offices;
• TruStone must offer four employees “who were unlawfully denied transfers to those facilities immediate transfers to those facilities, if they so choose;”
• TruStone must “make affected employees [at the relocated facilities] whole for any losses of earnings or benefits they may have suffered because of the failure to apply the bargaining agreement to them…”

The NLRB judge also ordered TruStone to post — at all its facilities — a notice announcing that the National Labor Relations Board has found that the credit union violated Federal labor law.

Read the decision.