On September 11, 2025, Climate First! joined a nationwide effort to work on unionizing Wells Fargo bank branches. As part of the "Wells Fargo: Be a Better Bank" Campaign", the "Unionizing Wells Fargo" Project is an effort to grow the number of lender's branches that are part of the Wells Fargo Workers United (WFWU) union.                                    

                                                                

The unionizing project's organizers believe that when many of the bank's employees become union members, the union will have greater leverage to fight for improved working conditions and better salaries. In addition, the union will be able to demand that Wells Fargo reinstate its climate pollution targets, which it dropped in February 2025 likely due to pressure from the new administration and others. For "DETAILS" and/or to join the unionizing project, see below.

As background, the Wells Fargo: Be a Better Bank Campaign was recently created for the following reasons. First, Wells Fargo is the only major U.S. bank to have dropped its commitment to net-zero climate emissions by 2050, across its financed portfolio. And since it is critical that the other major US banks--which are (along with Wells Fargo) mostly the leading banks in the world as far as investing in fossil fuels--keep abiding by their climate pollution targets, we must publicly make Wells Fargo pay for its climate-wrecking decision.

And Wells Fargo's disgusting behavior doesn't end there. The bank has also: 1) strongly opposed any unionization of its employees; 2) promoted a plan to privatize the USPS, and sell it off in parts; 3) dropped its pledge to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), despite the lender's long history of racist lending practices; 4) funded, in a big way, companies such as Palantir that partner with ICE to deport immigrants; and 5) funded, in a major way, companies like Elbit Systems, a major provider of weapons and technologies to the Israeli military, that has led to mass atrocities in Palestine.

By working on the nationwide Unionizing Wells Fargo Project, we will help increase worker power to leverage against Wells Fargo to win their demands. In addition, it shows the bank's leadership that there are direct and meaningful consequences for backing down on their climate pollution commitments. Finally, the project will serve as a means to prevent other major US banks from following Wells Fargo’s lead.

If you can, please sign this petition which summarizes Wells Fargo's terrible decisions vis-a-vis the climate, unionization, DEI, and the other critical issues above, and follows with demands that the lender changes its behaviors.

And finally, Stop the Money Pipeline and the WFWU union have scheduled an online training for climate activists and others who want to learn about the unionizing project. It is scheduled for this coming Thursday, September 18, at 8 pm EDT.

                                                       

In the training, you will learn learn how to canvass Wells Fargo workers in your community to stop authoritarianism and fossil fuel oligarchy. Register here for the training on September 18th to prepare yourself for meeting with Wells Fargo workers.

DETAILS of Unionizing Project:
What: In the role of a volunteer for Climate First!, you will meet with Wells Fargo workers and share flyers to initiate unionization drives. Each team member(s) will try to meet with a bank worker (not management) at Wells Fargo branches. 
When: Climate First!'s work on the unionization project started on September 11, 2025, and will likely end around mid-October.   
Where: We will visit Wells Fargo branches in Montgomery County, MD; Prince Georges County, MD; and in Washington, DC.   
Misc: If you attend a virtual training by STMP and WFWU on September 18, 2025 at 8 pm, you will be well-prepared for visiting Wells Fargo branches. If you have questions or concerns regarding the Unionizing Wells Fargo Project, and/or would like to get involved with it, please contact Ted at [email protected] .