Wells Fargo unionization filing overview:
- Who: Wells Fargo employees at branches in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Bethel, Alaska, filed for union elections for the first time in the history of the bank.
- Why: A pair of Wells Fargo workers gave interviews stating they are looking for better pay and work conditions.
- Where: The Wells Fargo branches are in New Mexico and Alaska.
Employees at Wells Fargo branches in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and Bethel, Alaska, filed for union elections for the first time in the bank’s history earlier this month, setting the stage for a potential unionization.
In a petition to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), the bankers and tellers declared an intention to join the Communications Workers of America’s Wells Fargo Workers United (WFWU), Reuters reports.
“While we are the first Wells Fargo workers to file for union elections, we will not be the last,” says Sabrina Perez, a senior premier banker at the Albuquerque branch, according to the Committee for Better Banks.
The petition to the NLRB is the first made by any major bank in decades, according to the global union federation UNI Global Union, which says the petition highlights an “escalating demand” for greater representation for financial services workers.
Push for unionization comes in wake of 2016 fake account scandal
The push for unionization reportedly comes in the wake of a fake account scandal that occurred in 2016, with worker support for organization increasing since that time, according to UNI Global Union.
“We know that we deserve better and so do our customers. While Wells Fargo rakes in billions of dollars each year off the backs of workers like me, I’m forced to work a second job just to make rent,” says Walker Sexton, a personal banker at the Bethel branch, according to the Committee for Better Banks.
Wells Fargo has been accused of engaging in illegal practices to try and disrupt union activities, according to UNI Global Union, which says the bank is alleged to have engaged in intimidation and retaliation against the organized workers.
Saul Van Beurden, CEO of Wells Fargo’s consumer and small-business banking, says in a statement to The Wall Street Journal that the bank has made an effort to invest in its workers.
These efforts reportedly include reducing the number of required work days for workers in many Wells Fargo branches and increasing staffing levels where it is needed, according to Van Beurden.
In August, Wells Fargo agreed to a $35 million settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in August to end claims the bank overcharged customers by way of allegedly failing to update its billing accounts to reflect reduced fee agreements.
What are your thoughts on the Wells Fargo employees’ decision to file for union elections? Let us know in the comments.
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One thought on Wells Fargo employees at 2 branches file for unionization
I work for Wells Fargo, and granted after covid 19 when the branches started opening back up, we were the top staffed bank in the industry, however….we are FAR from being staffed adequately!! We have lines that go all the way to the door multiple times a day!! And if we were to go union I wouldn’t be dealing with the issues that I am with them and their 3rd party insurance companies!!!