PRESS RELEASE: Wells Fargo Workers Raise Alarm on Toxic Sales Culture in New Report

For Release April 17, 2025
Media Contact: Sean Nesmith ([email protected]), 
CWA Communications, (202) 340-4361

Wells Fargo Workers Raise Alarm on Toxic Sales Culture in New Report

New Report Warns of Return to High-Pressure Sales Tactics and Union Suppression

NATIONWIDE – A new report released by the Communications Workers of America’s (CWA) Committee for Better Banks (CBB) warns that Wells Fargo is backsliding into the same harmful practices that led to its infamous fake account scandal back in 2016. The report, Sales Pressure Returns to Wells Fargo, paints a picture of Wells Fargo prioritizing short-term gains over long-term accountability.

Key findings include:

• A resurgence of sales goals under rebranded language like “outcomes,” despite promises to abandon aggressive metrics after the 2016 scandal.
• An all-time high in reliance on incentive-based compensation, creating pressure to sell rather than serve customers. 
• A significant increase in CFPB consumer complaints—now exceeding pre-scandal levels—paired with widespread understaffing that leaves workers overwhelmed and customers underserved.
• Internal pressure campaigns aimed at silencing worker voices, including a documented ramp-up in anti-union activity and spending.

“Wells Fargo workers are telling us loud and clear: the conditions that led to billions in fines and widespread consumer harm are returning,” said Nick Weiner, Organizing Director at the Committee for Better Banks. “Instead of listening to frontline employees who want a seat at the table to improve working conditions, Wells Fargo is spending millions on union-busting consultants and corporate playbooks designed to silence workers. That alone should be a red flag to regulators and the public: a company that prioritizes suppressing worker voices over fixing its internal culture is not serious about accountability to its workforce or its customers.”

Since the launch of the union drive, 27 Wells Fargo branches, as well as the conduct management intake department, have successfully formed a union with CWA across the country, marking an unprecedented effort to organize the financial services industry. WFWU-CWA members will be hosting a webinar on April 24 at 4PM ET to provide insights on how these concerns impact workers, clients, and communities at America’s 4th largest bank. 

Bank workers who are interested in sharing their experiences with sales pressure can fill out a confidential survey form here. 

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About the Committee for Better Banks

The Committee for Better Banks, the only independent voice for frontline bank employees, comprises bank workers, community and consumer advocacy groups, and labor organizations coming together to improve conditions in the banking industry. Committee for Better Banks members include current and former employees of banks and credit unions across the country, including Wells Fargo, U.S. Bank, Santander, Bank of The West, and Bank of America.