Amid intimidation claims, Wells Fargo investigators vote to unionize

Wells Fargo employees who review customer complaints and workplace issues have voted to unionize.

The move is the latest in a campaign to organize workers at the San Francisco-based bank, which is notable in an industry that historically has had low rates of unionization.

After a legal back-and-forth over the vote, in which the bank contested the validity of ballots cast by former employees, the National Labor Relations Board certified the election results on Tuesday. Members of the conduct management department voted 21-16 in favor of joining the union.

“We look forward to creating an open dialogue with Wells Fargo to improve working conditions in our department,” said Roslynn Berkeland, an investigations associate at Wells Fargo, according to a news release by the Communications Workers of America, the parent union affiliated with Wells Fargo Workers United.

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The lead-up to the vote was contentious. After workers announced in early September their intent to hold a vote, bank officials disparaged the union drive in meetings and in emails to employees, current and former members of the conduct management department told The Times in interviews. On Oct. 1, the bank laid off 11 employees in the department.

The bank has denied accusations that layoffs sought to target the union effort.

In response to a request for comment about the results of the election, Wells Fargo spokesperson Rachel Wall repeated a previous statement, saying “We respect our employees’ rights to vote for or against union representation and appreciate their careful consideration of this decision. We continue to believe our employees are best served by working directly with the Company and its leadership.”

The conduct management intake department at Wells Fargo was created in the wake of a scandal that erupted in 2016 when The Times reported bank employees had opened millions of fake deposit and checking accounts, and often transferred funds from consumers’ accounts without their knowledge or consent. Regulators eventually slapped Wells Fargo with fines and forced the bank to overhaul its processes to improve compliance.

But workers have said layoffs have jeopardized their ability to properly review complaints of misconduct.

“We write because we are distraught and outraged that Wells Fargo executives are undermining our ability to effectively manage risk by slashing staff in our department through a mass layoff, “ workers wrote in an Oct. 3 letter to the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.

Wells Fargo has said that changes the company made in the department aim to address inefficiencies.