Front Line Bank Workers Say Toxic Culture Hasn't Changed at Wells Fargo

Front line bank workers, members of the Committee for Better Banks, a CWA project, gathered in Washington, D.C., this week as Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan was called in to testify in front of the House Financial Services Committee. Bank workers, joined by Senator Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio), Rep. Chuy Garcia (D-Ill.), and other allies, held a rally ahead of the hearing to deliver 15,000 signed petitions calling on Sloan to meet with the Committee for Better Banks to address the toxic, high-pressure sales culture that originally led to the Wells Fargo fake account scandal.

At the rally, the bank workers warned that the toxic sales culture hasn't improved since the Wells Fargo scandal.

"If Wells Fargo truly cared about its workers, it would show in their investment in us. If they are willing to show their commitment, they need to start doing better for workers and meeting with the Committee for Better Banks," said Alex Ross, a Wells Fargo employee in Minneapolis.

"Front line bank workers having an independent voice and the ability to speak out is one of the best mechanisms we have to rein in the power of Wall Street," said CWA President Chris Shelton at the rally. "When front line bank workers have a voice on the job, they can improve their working conditions and feel secure to speak up about sales goals that force them to push predatory products on our communities."

The bank workers' efforts to hold Wells Fargo accountable drew the attention of national media. At the hearing, Sloan was grilled about a New York Times story published ahead of the hearing featuring concerns from CBB members. Meggan Halvorson, a CBB member who works at Wells Fargo in Minneapolis, was featured in a segment on the hearings on the CBS Evening News.

Front line bank workers held a rally with allies including Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) to call on Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan to meet with the Committee for Better Banks to address the toxic, high-pressure sales culture that originally led to the Wells Fargo fake account scandal.

Members of the Committee for Better Banks met with Members of Congress including Reps. Cindy Axne (D-Iowa), Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), and Dean Phillips (D-Minn.) to share their stories and concerns.