PRESS RELEASE: Communications Workers of America File ULP Against Wells Fargo for Refusing to Bargain with First Non-Branch Unit

For Immediate Release: February 11, 2025
Media Contact: Sean Nesmith, [email protected], 202-340-4361

Communications Workers of America File ULP Against Wells Fargo for Refusing to Bargain with First Non-Branch Unit

(NATIONWIDE) – On Thursday, February 6, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Wells Fargo for refusing to bargain in good faith with CWA-represented conduct management intake workers. The charge comes shortly after Wells Fargo management denied a request for information sent by the union as a preliminary step to bargain with the union. 

“Wells Fargo’s attempt to divide us will not work. Now that we’ve won our union election, Wells Fargo should live up to its promise to us and honor our votes and our right to form a union,” said Wells Fargo Investigations Associate and Wells Fargo Workers United-CWA (WFWU-CWA) member Diana Pena. “It’s time to sit down at the bargaining table and begin our contract negotiations.” 

In December, conduct management intake workers at Wells Fargo chose to form a union with WFWU-CWA, becoming the first non-branch group of workers to join nearly 200 Wells Fargo workers across 24 branches who are fighting for a voice on the job and improved working conditions at one of the nation’s largest and most scandal-ridden banks. The conduct management intake investigators are responsible for the intake, research, and documentation of external and internal cases (allegations) that pertain to the company, ensuring regulatory compliance and ethical soundness of the megabank. Despite a relentless anti-union campaign, the NLRB certified the union election vote on December 10. 

Even though Wells Fargo responded to the union drive stating that they would “respect our employee’s rights to vote for or against union representation” and that they would “honor the outcome of any certified election,” Wells Fargo submitted a Request for Review of the certified election results because the bank did not want the stipulated ballots of workers they laid off only a few days before the election to be counted. CWA agreed to not count the challenged ballots since a majority of the counted ballots were in favor of joining CWA. In response to a request to begin contract negotiations, representatives from Wells Fargo’s union-busting law firm Littler Mendelson shared the following response:

“[...] At this time, we still are awaiting a decision from the NLRB as to whether Region 18 acted properly in accordance with the National Labor Relations Act and NLRB procedures. As such, the CWA is not conclusively the bargaining representative of the employees on the Wells Fargo Conduct Management Intake Team. For that reason, Wells Fargo is not legally obligated to bargain with or provide the requested information about the Conduct Management Intake employees to the CWA. Of course, if after appeals are concluded, the CWA were to conclusively become the certified bargaining representative of the unit employees on the Conduct Management Intake Team, then Wells Fargo would meet its legal obligations to bargain in good faith and provide relevant responsive information to the CWA as may be requested.”

“Wells Fargo’s request to review the election results certified by the NLRB Regional Director is absurd. There’s nothing for the NLRB to review. A majority of the workers voted to form a union, and we agreed with the bank’s position to not count the ballots of the workers they illegally laid off right before they voted in hopes that the rest of the workers would be scared and vote no,” said Committee for Better Banks Organizing Director Nick Weiner. “Well, it didn’t work. And now we believe Wells Fargo is engaging in more unlawful conduct by refusing to sit down and negotiate a contract. These courageous investigators will not be intimidated and continue to stand strong and united to make the bank better.”

In response, WFWU-CWA members have created a petition to demand that Charlie Scharf and Wells Fargo management respect the result of the conduct management intake workers’ union election. 

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About Wells Fargo Workers United-CWA

The Committee for Better Banks’ Wells Fargo Workers United-CWA is the only public effort by Wells Fargo employees to organize a union. With a union, workers are seeking to address chronic understaffing, unfair sales pressure, and unreasonable workloads to improve their working conditions and allow them to better support Wells Fargo customers. Since the union’s launch in 2021, Wells Fargo workers across virtually every state Wells Fargo operates in are organizing with WFWU-CWA, collaborating with shareholders, members of Congress, and officials at the Federal Reserve and the Department of Treasury to drive accountability at the country’s fourth largest bank.

About the Committee for Better Banks

The Committee for Better Banks, the only independent voice for frontline bank employees, comprises bank workers, community and consumer advocacy groups, and labor organizations coming together to improve conditions in the banking industry. Committee for Better Banks members include current and former employees of banks and credit unions across the country, including Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, Citibank, and Bank of America.