The trunk release handle glows in the dark, so if children get stuck in there, they see it and hopefully will pull on it, then pop goes the trunk. When you pull the seat straps, you still have to push the seats forward...a child isn't as likely to make that connection, so instead of adding a set of springs to the seats, they add a handle to the trunk latch....it's cheaper that way. And it is a safety standard that was implemented mid-run of the Alero, so early ones may not have it.
Back to the original issue, check your trunk release relay...you probably still hear it clicking, and not the trunk release itself. It's in the driver side fuse panel. Sometimes they can still click, but not make the internal connection. Swap it with another relay that looks the same and see if it works...if it does, there's your problem. Switch it back and take the bad one to a parts store...they usually run between 8 and 15 bux.
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