The Bethel branch workers' withdrawal of their petition came the same day that staff in Albuquerque, N.M. voted to form a union.
The Wells Fargo branch in Bethel, Alaska. Nov. 21, 2023. (MaryCait Dolan/KYUK)
Bank workers at the Wells Fargo branch in Bethel have withdrawn their petition to file for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board.
The Dec. 20 withdrawal came as a surprise after workers at another Wells Fargo branch in Albuquerque, N.M. voted the same day to form a union, becoming the first-ever Wells Fargo workers to unionize.
Walter Sexton, a personal banker at the Bethel branch, issued a statement on the union election withdrawal.
“Although those of us at the Bethel branch have decided to withdraw our petition and hold on moving forward with a union election at this time, our values have not changed,” Sexton wrote. “We believe Wells Fargo workers need a voice on the job. We believe in being advocates for ourselves and our customers. We believe change at Wells Fargo is past due.”
A Wells Fargo spokesperson said, “We are pleased with this development and look forward to continuing to engage with our employees directly.”