Wells Fargo employees in Va. Beach seek union

‘Frustrated’ workers’ concerns include wages and staffing

VIRGINIA BEACH — A group of Wells Fargo tellers and bankers want a union, citing low pay and staffing issues.

Six workers at the Wells Fargo at 301 Little Neck Road recently filed for a union election in a petition to the National Labor Relations Board, organizers said in a Jan. 16 announcement.

“I have been consistently asked to work more hours — come in early, stay longer — numerous times because of understaffing,” Virginia Beach Wells Fargo teller Shelly Traugott said.

Traugott was hired to work part-time at the branch, but said she’s been asked to work more hours and cover shifts at other locations.

The unionization effort is part of a national campaign by Communications Workers of America’s Wells Fargo Workers United group. The branch is one of the first to file for an election under the campaign. Workers at branches in New Mexico and Florida voted to become the first and second branches to form unions in December and early January.

Nick Weiner, an organizer with the Committee for Better Banks, said the Wells Fargo effort grew out of 2016 whistleblowing efforts about employees opening fake bank accounts to meet unrealistic sales goals. As CEOs changed over the years, Weiner said working conditions continued to flounder.

“The workers there that we were seeing got more and more frustrated,” Weiner said.

Brian Sweitzer, a branch operations coordinator in Little Creek, has worked for Wells Fargo for nine years. He said concerns about low pay and staffing shortages led to his interest in unionizing.

“Our staffing, currently, is negatively impacting our customer experience because when you don’t have enough people in the branch when someone comes in, the customers aren’t happy that they have to wait longer,” Sweitzer said.

He said branches have opened late because nobody can cover shifts when employees are sick or take vacation.

Weiner said employee concerns have not been addressed when presented to management, including

Wells Fargo CEO Charles Scharf. Sweitzer said highlevel executives are not in the branches every day and don’t see the issues firsthand.

“We respect our employees’ rights to vote for union representation. At the same time, we continue to believe our employees are best served by working directly with the Company and its leadership,” Wells Fargo management said in an email.

The branch plans to vote Feb. 8 on unionization, Weiner said. He said a Wilmington, Delaware, branch plans to vote Feb. 1, and organizers are also talking with “dozens and dozens” more workers interested in unionizing.