Union Sees Dollar Signs in Bank Workers

Besides, an air conditioned office, benefits, decent hours and entry level pay starting at $9.50 an hour, according to SEIU, doesn't seem all too bad in a time of high unemployment.

The union also attacks highly paid bankers. "Too much wealth or power undercuts the middle class," Lerner says. So investment bankers that who work for months on incredibly complicated deals that bring the bank a fee worth millions aren't entitled to their cut? That sounds like Marxism, not the American culture of working your way to the top.

Bank of America said in a statement that its workers did not need to be unionized.

"Bank of America is pro-associate and believes that managers are well-equipped to respond to associates' needs," the company said. "We also believe that direct interaction between associates and managers is key to our organization's success and each associate's career development."

SEIU has been a vocal critic of Bank of America, calling for CEO Ken Lewis to be fired and the company to curb high fees and "predatory" lending practices, among other things.

The union hasn't offer as clear a strategy for how exactly the company can make the profits it needs to pay back TARP loans or reduce layoffs. Lerner grudgingly agrees the bank's borrowers should bear some personal responsibility and not spend more than what is in their accounts and pay their credit card bills on time.

With banks like Bank of America and Citigroup (C Quote) attempting to pay back billions in government investments made through the Troubled Asset Relief Program, profitability at the companies should be a bigger priority than the union's.