Workers at ABQ Wells Fargo branch vote yes to union

In what union officials say could be a sea change, workers at an Albuquerque Wells Fargo branch voted to form a union on Wednesday, making them the first employees at a larger U.S. bank to do so in recent memory.

Workers at the Wells Fargo branch at 11199 Montgomery NE voted 5-3 Wednesday to join the Communications Workers of America’s Wells Fargo Workers United, a move they say now gives them a seat at the table when it comes to employee pay and other issues.

“We were very confident that we would succeed in this effort,” said Sabrina Perez, a senior premier banker at the branch who was part of the unionization effort. “This is really just a testament to not only the strength of my team to resist the very aggressive dissuasion campaign that was leveled against us. But also, it really speaks to the need for us to address growing issues, consistent issues with Wells Fargo, and the corporate structure that is dictating things and branches.”

The CWA says branch workers in Albuquerque are the first to unionize at Wells Fargo. Wednesday’s vote also makes them the first workers to do so at a major bank in decades.

In an interview with the Journal following the vote, Perez said Wells Fargo tried to implement “dissuasion” tactics that included the hiring of a firm that “has represented other large companies that are seeking to dissuade their workers,” as well as pulling workers into daily meetings where “seeds of doubt” about joining and forming a union were sown.

But she said getting a “yes” vote Wednesday came following a passionate effort by Perez and her coworkers, including staying in constant communication since filing the petition. She said that previously, the branch’s workers — including full-time and part-time personal bankers, premier bankers and tellers — dealt with a lack of resources and took on additional tasks.

“We want to be heard whenever there are grievances and this is a way for us to ensure that that happens,” Perez said.

Wells Fargo spokesman Ruben Pulido said in a statement that employees “should have all the facts and perspectives at their disposal on any important topic.” He said the company wants to continue to work directly with workers, adding that Wells Fargo supports their rights to vote for union representation.

“That is why we are communicating with our colleagues — just as the union has done,” Pulido said. “We want people to make an informed choice.”

The election, overseen by the National Labor Relations Board, marks a major milestone for unionization efforts that may become more common in the coming years at major banks across the country.

A vote is set to take place this week in Bethel, Alaska, where workers at another Wells Fargo branch filed a petition to unionize around the same time as the workers in Albuquerque. And branches in California and Florida also have filed petitions in the past two weeks, according to the NLRB’s docket.

More broadly, unionization efforts have accelerated in recent years among corporate America’s larger companies.

More than 300 Starbucks locations have formed unions since 2021, and companies that include such corporate giants as Amazon and Lyft have faced unionization efforts. And, recently, strikes by the unions of Hollywood’s actors and writers led to a lengthy impasse until agreements were reached that are now bringing back film projects in New Mexico and across the country.

As for Wells Fargo, Wednesday’s vote to unionize the Albuquerque branch is just the tip of the iceberg, said Nick Weiner, a senior campaign organizer with the CWA. He said more branches will likely file petitions to unionize over the next few weeks.

“There is such an appetite for change. I can’t tell you the number of messages that we get from people who reach out and say, ‘Hey, we need a union. How do I get involved? How do we do this? What are the next steps?’ It’s amazing,” he said. “And so, yeah, there is a tidal wave coming.”

This story has been updated.