© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A Wells Fargo logo is seen in New York City, U.S. January 10, 2017. REUTERS/Stephanie Keith/File Photo
By Daniel Wiessner
(Reuters) – A Wells Fargo & Co employee filed a lawsuit on Thursday accusing the bank of depriving hundreds of its U.S. branch workers of overtime pay, as the bank faces an unprecedented campaign to unionize its workforce.
The proposed class action filed in San Francisco federal court claims Wells Fargo improperly classified “senior premier bankers” as management-level employees who are exempt from overtime pay under federal and state laws.
Senior premier bankers provide customer service, conduct transactions, and generate referrals to financial advisers. And they often work unpaid overtime because of chronic understaffing at Wells Fargo branches, according to the lawsuit.
The lawsuit seeks unspecified damages, penalties, and legal costs.
Wells Fargo did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The lawsuit was filed by Sabrina Perez, an employee at a Wells Fargo branch in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where workers recently filed a petition to hold a union election. Perez has been an outspoken advocate of unionizing,…
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