Major US bank becomes first to have a unionized branch

"New York, New York, USA - May 31, 2012: A Wells Fargo sign at a Wells Fargo location in Midtown Manhattan. Manhattan buildings can be seen in the background."

Workers in Albuquerque vote to join union, Alaska branch could be next.

Wells Fargo & Co. is now the first major US bank to have a unionized workforce.

Workers at a Wells Fargo branch in Albuquerque, N.M., voted 5-3 Wednesday to join the Communications Workers of America’s Wells Fargo Workers United, in an election overseen by the National Labor Relations Board. Employees at a Wells Fargo branch in Bethel, Alaska, are scheduled to vote Thursday on joining the union. Both branches represent a tiny fraction of the bank’s overall workforce, but are meant to spur momentum for a broader union drive.

The Washington-Baltimore News Guild, which is affiliated with the CWA, represents employees of Bloomberg Law.

The Albuquerque vote comes as Wells Fargo faces a growing union campaign in its branches and call centers. Branches in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Atwater, Calif., have separately petitioned to join the union, and union organizers expect more requests in the coming months.

Workers around the country have been advocating for improved wages and working conditions, including the ability to better push back against aggressive sales tactics and other violations that have dogged Wells Fargo for years.

The Wells Fargo branch in Albuquerque has eight members in its bargaining unit and the Bethel branch has five, making up a tiny fraction of the bank’s 4,355 branches and approximately 227,000 employees nationwide.

UNION DRIVE

Wells Fargo has consistently maintained it will fight the unionization effort. Wells Fargo President and CEO Charles Scharf said at a Senate hearing this month he believes the bank works best when management has a direct relationship with its workers, rather than having to negotiate with a union. He faced questions on the union drive from Senate Banking Committee Chairman Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio).

Wells Fargo hired Littler Mendelson P.C., a top employer-side labor law firm, to advise the bank on its efforts to stop the union drive. The bank has distributed anti-union flyers and used small group meetings to discourage workers at the Albuquerque and Bethel branches from voting to join, according to union representatives.

The next step for workers in Albuquerque is to negotiate a contract with Wells Fargo, which could become a model for other branches around the country.