In a groundbreaking development, employees at the Wells Fargo branch in Atwater, California, have rejected the formation of a union, marking the first instance of resistance to the growing unionization movement within Wells Fargo, as reported by the Committee for Better Bankers.
The vote, with a three-to-one majority, went against joining the Communications Workers of America’s Wells Fargo Workers United (WFWU), according to an anonymous source familiar with the matter. Last month, employees at a Bethel, Alaska branch decided to withdraw from unionization efforts, while two other branches in Daytona, Florida, and Albuquerque, New Mexico, opted to join the union.
Wells Fargo has now become one of the first major U.S. lenders to have a unionized workforce.
Allegations have surfaced from an Atwater branch employee claiming that the bank exerted pressure on workers leading up to the confidential vote.
Contrarily, another employee, Jessica Grajeda Burgos, who was among those initiating the petition to form a union, countered, “We did not feel that there was any undue pressure from the management to influence the election. We all did our own research and voted on the basis of that.”
In response, Wells Fargo issued a statement asserting that the Atwater branch employees expressed their voices through a fair election, which the union is challenging due to the unfavorable outcome. The statement further emphasized the company’s belief that direct collaboration with employees is in their best interest.