Workers at Albuquerque Wells Fargo file petition to unionize

Sabrina Perez, a senior premier banker with a Wells Fargo in Albuquerque’s Northeast Heights, says “the resources just aren’t there” when talking about the staffing at her branch.

Too often workers at Wells Fargo, at 11199 Montgomery NE, have to tell customers to set up appointments or to wait for extended periods. The additional resources the branch has requested haven’t come, Perez said.

So, Perez and other employees at her branch are looking to form a union through a formal petition filed Monday with the National Labor Relations Board. They join workers at one other branch located in Bethel, Alaska, who also filed a petition to form a union through a voting process.

In doing so, employees of the two banks look to repair the national bank’s “toxic culture” and seek what they say are basic rights — like higher pay and better retirement plans.

“Every time that we’ve asked for additional help, Wells Fargo’s corporate response is that this is the new model,” Perez said. “And they know that it increases (customers’) wait times. But it doesn’t seem to be a priority for them as long as they’re still cost-cutting.”

It would be the first time employees of a major bank formed a union in decades if Albuquerque workers vote yes at an election that will come at a later date.

In a statement sent to the Journal, Wells Fargo’s CEO of Consumer, Small & Business Banking Saul Van Beurden said the bank improved compensation and benefits for lower-paid employees in recent years. He said the bank listened to the concerns of workers that “have driven many of the enhancements we have made.”

“For the last four years, we made health care more affordable for lower paid employees by decreasing the portion they pay of total costs, increased median base salaries by 26% for those making less than $50,000, reduced the required workdays for those in many of our branches, and increased staffing levels in branches where needed to help support our employees and ultimately our customers,” he said. “We strongly believe everyone’s individual voice should be heard and that direct connection is the best way to continue to make progress in ensuring that our workplace helps our employees thrive.”

Wells Fargo on Monday was trading at $42.79 per share, which was down 17 cents for the day.

The Albuquerque bankers join a growing national movement led by workers across different industries who are seeking a seat at the table through the formation of unions and striking efforts. Last September, employees at the Starbucks on Rio Grande and Interstate 40 in Albuquerque voted to form a union, making it the first location in the state to do so and joining more than 300 other Starbucks locations that also formed unions.

Nationally, recent strikes by Hollywood’s actors and writers led to a lengthy impasse until agreements were reached that are now bringing back film projects in New Mexico.

Nick Weiner, a senior campaign organizer with the Communications Workers of America, the group aiding Albuquerque Wells Fargo branch workers in forming a union, said the filing of Monday’s petition to the NLRB has been years in the making. Weiner pointed to Wells Fargo’s opening of millions of unauthorized accounts for members to meet sales goals in 2016 as a catalyst in workers’ efforts to find ways to help create transparency and communication with corporate leaders.

But a lack of movement from corporate leaders, including CEO Charles Schwarf, in changing the culture of the bank led to the filing of petitions at its Albuquerque and Bethel, Alaska, branches, he said.

“Some of them actually got to meet with Charles Schwarf to raise concerns,” he said. “And after the meeting, they just felt like … nothing’s happening.”

Weiner said the CWA has made additional efforts in getting more Wells Fargo employees to join Wells Fargo Workers United, including the mailing of more than 20,000 fliers to the thousands of branches the bank operates.

He said there is increasing interest from employees outside of the bank’s branches, including its tech workers and call center employees, to unionize as well.

“We found that people are coming forward and want to be part of this effort,” he said. “There’s a lot of excitement and energy going on right now.”

For Perez, who has been with the company for 10 years, forming a union means bringing back a level of customer service that you can’t get by banking online.

“If we as employees are being pushed into doing these online services rather than utilizing us — it makes our jobs obsolete but it also makes it an inconvenience for the customer,” Perez said. “We’re trying to bring a little bit more of the community back in community banking.”