U.S. Bank drops ATM fees for
unemployed after union protest
Eight months after union members
picketed U.S. Bank branches around
the state, Oregon State Treasurer Ted
Wheeler delivered on their demands.
Members of Service Employees In-
ternational Union (SEIU) Local 503
picketed March 18 to denounce U.S.
Bank for charging ATM fees to unem-
ployed workers and single parents. The
State of Oregon contracts with U.S.
Bank to make unemployment benefits
and court-ordered child support pay-
ments available via a re-loadable VISA
debit card known as the Reliacard. Last
year over $1 billion was deposited into
U.S. Bank through the program, for the
benefit of 350,000 recipients. U.S.
Bank gets to use the funds until recipi-
ents withdraw them. What drew the
union’s protest was that U.S. Bank
charges Reliacard holders $1.50 per
transaction to withdraw money from
ATMs — even its own ATMs — after
the first several transactions.
The state’s contract with U.S. Bank,
set to expire Dec. 31, is up for renego-
tiation. The state treasurer’s office,
which negotiates the contract, an-
nounced Nov. 29 that U.S. Bank has
agreed to offer Reliacard users free and
unlimited withdrawals from US Bank-
branded ATMs, and from bank branch
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NORTHWEST LABOR PRESS
teller windows. Of the 40 states that
use pre-paid benefit cards, 18 have un-
limited free in-network ATM with-
drawals, according to a report released
in May by the National Consumer Law
Center.
Wheeler’s announcement credited
two staffpeople for negotiating the new
terms, but made no mention of SEIU
or its campaign. The press announce-
ment quoted U.S. Bank official Malia
Wasson however, who said that U.S.
Bank “continues to be an advocate for
a stronger community.”
SEIU Local 503 Executive Director
Heather Conroy made her own state-
ment. “Our members are proud to have
brought this matter to light,” Conroy
said. Local 503 represents state em-
ployees, and it was members who
work at the Oregon Employment De-
partment who brought the abusive
ATM fees to the union’s attention. Lo-
cal 503 is gratified that Wheeler stood
up for the unemployed, Conroy said,
adding that every state contract ought
to be carefully and publicly scruti-
nized.
SEIU has been targeting the big
Wall Street banks nationwide in a cam-
paign to hold them responsible for the
financial crisis.
DECEMBER 16, 2011