International Relations

A letter from FABI to Santander about US workers

As the trade union representative of the employees of Santander in Italy, we write to express our on-going concern about the situation of Santander workers in the United States who wish to exercise their rights to unionize and bargain collectively.

We are disappointed to learn that Santander has still not agreed to meet with the workers and the Communications Workers of America to discuss their concerns about workplace fear and intimidation and a proposal to ensure workers are free to participate in the union if they choose.

In nearly every other country where the bank operates, Santander engages in respectful dialogue and collective bargaining with the representatives of the workers. In the United States, Santander has refused to meet with workers and the union, and has continued to allow supervisors, managers and security personnel to create a workplace environment where workers are led to believe that union participation could hurt the company and place their jobs at risk.

Given the many outstanding issues impacting Santander’s reputation as a global corporation and a banking operator in the United States, including the pending money-laundering charges against Santander executives, the growing protest over the role of Santander in the Puerto Rico bond crisis, the failed stress test and CRA exams under U.S. regulations and others, we find your intransigence regarding dialogue with your own employees to be completely unacceptable and a risk to the Bank that we too depend on for employment.

We expect Santander management to work with the Communications Workers of America to develop a non-interference agreement that will prevent future conflict, promote positive labor relations, and strengthen the Bank’s operations in the U.S. We will remain vigilant of the situation of Santander workers in the United States and will continue to support their demands to participate without obstruction in a trade union organization.

Sincerely,

FABI Italian Indipendent Banking Workers Union

Mauro Bossola
Deputy General Secretary