Royal Bank reportedly riled brokers at its U.S. subsidiary when it asked them to sign a policy statement that included a non-competition provision. Dain Rauscher management was forced to do a turnabout after an outcry from brokers, according to the Wall Street Letter.

Brokers were asked to sign the policy statement a couple of weeks ago. But the WSL says brokers balked at signing. “Furious brokers refused to sign the statement, many even sending angry letters to management charging that the firm had reversed its policy.”

The WSL says that the firm issued an addendum to the document, clarifying that the non-compete language was not legally binding. It says that the addendum notes that the policy statement “will not be used to assert in any legal proceeding that a Dain Rauscher employee has signed a non-compete or non-solicitation agreement.”

The firm says that the clause was part of a document meant to be signed by all employees of RBC’s recent U.S. acquisitions, and not directed at Dain brokers specifically. Brokers at the recently acquired Tucker Anthony Sutro were not asked to sign because that merger is still in progress.