Delaware
Wells Fargo branch workers seek union in Wilmington
Workers at this Wells Fargo bank branch could become the first to unionize in Delaware under a new proposal. | DBT PHOTO BY JACOB OWENS
WILMINGTON – Workers at a Wells Fargo bank branch in the Wilmington suburbs have filed for a union election, which would make the handful of workers the first in the state if the effort is successful.
Bankers and tellers at the Fairfax branch off U.S. Route 202 filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board on Jan. 3, seeking to join the Communications Workers of America’s Wells Fargo Workers United (WFWU). They also sent a letter to Wells Fargo CEO Charlie Scharf and management, expressing concerns with understaffing, a lack of compensation and the importance of having a collective voice.
The move comes weeks after Wells Fargo branch workers voted to form a union in Albuquerque, N.M., becoming the first workers to unionize at a major U.S. bank. Wells Fargo is the fourth largest bank in the country per deposits.
“Wells Fargo workers’ historic union vote in Albuquerque created a ripple effect of worker solidarity nationwide, and we are excited to join them, becoming the first Wells Fargo workers in Delaware to petition for a seat at the table at one of largest banks in the country. With a union, we will have the power to negotiate fair working conditions that allow us to better serve our customers and our communities,” Scott Keehn, senior premier banker at the Fairfax branch, said in a statement.
In a statement, Wells Fargo said it “respected our employees’ rights to vote for union representation,” but also didn’t think it served in their best interest.
“We continue to believe our employees are best served by working directly with the company and its leadership,” the bank said.
The fight over unionization at Wells Fargo, which also includes two other branches in Florida and California, is growing more contentious. The WFWU has argued that Wells Fargo has disseminated anti-union materials and brought union-busting representatives to branches facing a vote. Wells Fargo call center workers in Oregon and Utah have also filed Unfair Labor Practice charges with the NLRB after bank leaders reportedly tore down posters regarding the right to organize. More than over 1,000 workers have now signed a WFWU support pledge in recent weeks.
Wells Fargo workers along with the Committee for Better Banks, an advocacy group for frontline bank employees, helped to ring the bell on the 2016 scandal over fraudulent customer account creation that led to a $3 billion settlement by Wells Fargo with the government.
“Like so many of their colleagues nationwide, Wells Fargo workers at the Fairfax branch in Delaware are stressed out and tired of their concerns being ignored and given lip service. By moving forward with a union election, they’re telling Wells Fargo that they’ve had enough, and it’s time they have a seat at the table,” Committee for Better Banks Organizing Director Nick Weiner said in a statement. “This election filing marks another critical moment for the WFWU campaign and is proof that Wells Fargo workers’ historic organizing momentum is just getting started. We’re incredibly proud of the Delaware-based Wells Fargo workers for standing up for each other, their families and their customers and continuing to drive change from the bottom-up at one of the country’s most scandal-ridden banks.”
DELAWARE COUNTY – Delaware County is gearing up for a year-long celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary, bringing together community partners for a series of events and programs.
Delaware County’s plans for the semiquincentennial
The Delaware County America 250 Commission hosted a “We the People” party to unveil plans for the upcoming celebrations.
The events aim to educate and connect the local community while drawing visitors from outside Philadelphia to explore the area’s rich history.
What they’re saying:
“Delaware County is not just watching from the sidelines, we are proud to be an essential part of a massive regional and national celebration,” said Christine Reuther, Delaware County Council Vice Chair.
Andrea Silva, director of the Delaware County America 250 Commission, highlighted the diverse themes that will be showcased throughout the year.
Celebrating 250 years of history
The backstory:
Friday’s event celebrated Delaware County’s 250-year history, with different tables reflecting various themes.
Attendees included Colonial Farmstead, Penn’s Woods Winery, and Pathways to Freedom.
The programming will feature over 100 events, including the Battle for Independence: Amazing Race to Brandywine and the Irish America 250 Kick Off on Jan. 14.
The celebrations are expected to leave a lasting legacy, with hopes of boosting the local economy.
“We want to see real economic impact for our local businesses as visitors from around the world come to shop on our main streets and stay in our towns and eat in our restaurants,” said Reuther.
What’s next:
This year’s county event specifics can be found here.
The Source: Information from the Delaware County America 250 Commission.
How to report a crime to Delaware Crime Stoppers
This video details what Delaware Crime Stoppers is and how to report a crime. 8/25/23
A 19-year-old man was shot dead in Wilmington’s Southbridge neighborhood in the early hours of Jan. 9, police said.
Wilmington officers arriving to the 200 block of S. Claymont St. about 3:30 a.m. found the teen there.
The teen, whom police have not named, was pronounced dead at the scene.
Anyone with information about this shooting should contact Wilmington Police Detective Derek Haines at (302) 576-3656. People can also provide information to Delaware Crime Stoppers at (800) TIP-3333 or delawarecrimestoppers.com.
Violence by the numbers
This is the first homicide reported this year in Delaware, which last year saw a slight drop in all violent killings.
Delaware police reported 52 people being killed in violent crimes in 2025, a drop of nearly 12% when compared with 59 people killed in 2024, according to a Delaware Online/The News Journal database.
While the number of people killed in homicides statewide is down, the number of people killed by gunfire in Delaware was up in 2025 for the third year in a row.
According to the Delaware Online database, 47 were shot dead in Delaware last year. That was one more victim (46) than in 2024, three more (44) than in 2023 and nine more (38) than in 2022.
Despite the increase in gun-related deaths, there were fewer people shot last year in Delaware for the second year in a row.
Police reported 164 people being shot last year in Delaware. The previous year saw 195 people shot and police reported 210 people being shot in 2023.
This was the fewest people shot in Delaware since 2018, when police reported 146 people being shot statewide.
Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.
Humpback whale beaches and dies at Delaware Seashore State Park
The Marine Education, Research and Rehabilitation Institute will perform a necropsy.
A dead humpback whale washed up near Bethany Beach on Jan. 8, according to the nonprofit Marine Education Research and Rehabilitation Institute.
The juvenile male was first seen Jan. 6, floating at sea about 2 miles off the Indian River Inlet, a MERR Facebook post said. The bloated 30-foot whale ultimately beached near a private community in the early afternoon of Jan. 8, the post said.
MERR is attempting to coordinate with the Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control to get equipment to move the whale out of the water and onto the beach to perform a necropsy, the post said. Right now, there isn’t enough information to determine a cause of death.
Delaware saw at least three dead whales last year, in the Indian River Bay, at Delaware Seashore State Park and at Pigeon Point. The first two were humpbacks, while the Pigeon Point whale was a fin whale.
A necropsy on the Delaware Seashore whale found blunt force trauma across its back, indicating it may have been struck by a ship, MERR Director Suzanne Thurman said.
Recently, on Jan. 4, a dead fin whale was found on the bow of a ship at the Gloucester Marine Terminal in New Jersey, which is located in the Port of Philadelphia on the Delaware River.
Shannon Marvel McNaught reports on southern Delaware and beyond. Reach her at smcnaught@gannett.com or on Facebook.
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