A Wells Fargo location in Wallingford, Connecticut, seeks to be the 28th branch of the bank to unionize, Wells Fargo Workers United announced Monday.
Max Saldanha, an associate personal banker at the branch, said he and other employees seek “respect” in their unionization bid.
“We are coming together to form a union because we ultimately want dignity and respect for ourselves and the work we do,” he said in a prepared statement. “If we are to be regarded as financial professionals, then we should be treated and compensated as such.”
This month, six North Colony employees sent a letter to Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf, urging him to voluntarily recognize the union and expressing woes about both understaffing and compensation.
“[T]here is no respect for our time. Published schedules are often revised last minute to adjust for business needs. We are not asked if we can adjust, we are told that we must comply,” six employees wrote. “We are so understaffed that bankers increasingly have to work through their lunch breaks to aid tellers and care for customers. When the lack of staffing has been mentioned as impeding our work and delivery of customer service, we are merely told that that is an excuse for our inadequate work.”
A Wells spokesperson denied that employees are required to work through their lunch breaks, but said they may be asked to delay their lunch if a customer walks in.
The spokesperson also said the bank has reduced the time it takes to hire new branch employees by 25% since 2024, and has increased teller pay by 42% since 2019.
The North Colony branch’s election will take place sometime in January, according to WFWU’s announcement.
The Wells spokesperson said the bank respects employees’ rights to vote for or against union representation and “appreciate[s] their careful consideration of such a decision.”
“We believe our employees are best supported by continuing their current partnership with the company’s leadership,” the spokesperson said. “We’re proud of the competitive compensation, comprehensive benefits, and attractive career development opportunities we provide our employees.”
WFWU, affiliated with the Communication Workers of America, launched unionization efforts in 2021, with its first election won in 2023. Its campaign is the only major unionization effort in the banking industry today. Only one bank in the U.S. has ratified a union contract in the last 40-plus years: Oakland, California-based Beneficial State Bank.
Initial contract negotiations for a Wells branch in Albuquerque began last November. Twenty-two negotiations are either active or scheduled to begin in the near future, a Wells spokesperson said. Union and bank representatives have spent more than 80 days at the bargaining table. No location has ratified a contract yet.
“We shouldn’t have to be afraid to come to work and hope only that we’re not let go,” Saldanha said. “We’re coming together so that we can be a stronger team and advocate for our rights and achieve what we deserve.”
