Photos by Brian Heiser
There was a national day of action to oppose Wells Fargo on Tuesday. In 22 cities across the country religious leaders, union workers, and citizens gathered to stand face to face with a huge bank, to let them know that their irresponsible actions will not go by unnoticed.
In Chicago we gathered outside the North Avenue location at noon. It was a wonderful array of people; diverse in age and ethnicity. Most everyone was smiling and exchanging knowledge, a sentiment of brotherly harmony suspended in the air. We marched in a circular pattern in front of the Wells Fargo building, which was generously fitted with picture windows, shouting “Wells Fargo, Shame On You”. After about 20 minutes, we stopped and gathered around a loud speaker to listen.
First, Carl Rosen from the United Electrical Workers Union (UE) spoke:
“There are 100 workers in the Quad cities who are about to become additional victims of the economic jobicide that’s being carried out by the likes of Wells Fargo right now. Last fall this country gave billions and billions of dollars to banks, with the argument that is what we needed to keep this economy going. That if they got that money, they could keep lending the money out, and keep small and medium sized businesses across this country going. Now Wells Fargo took 25 Billion Dollars, and everybody understood what they were supposed to do with it. And instead what are they doing? They are pulling lines of credit from company after company, including Quad City Die Casting, a sixty year-old family owned business. A high quality die casting plant. They just needed a little help to get through this recession… but instead, Wells Fargo thinks this is a good time to cut them off totally.”
Leah Fried, another UE Representative pointed out the financial impact on the community:
“There was an economic impact study done, and it shows 100 people loosing their jobs in the quad cities. 5.3 million per year in lost wages, and another 1.1 million dollars in tax revenue. That’s a whopping 6.4 million dollars per year, lost in that community. Another 69 people who stand to loose their jobs in retail, manufacturing, and other industries because those people aren’t working. This is devastating. And Wells Fargo needs to be accountable for what they’re doing.”
Elce Redmond of Jobs With Justice followed up, signaling the relationship between banks and home 
foreclosures,
“Wells Fargo got 25 billion dollars of taxpayers money, but yet they have disregard in terms of preserving jobs, and making communities economically stable. In the communities across this country, Wells Fargo is responsible for many of the defaults and foreclosures. This bank has billions of dollars in tax-payers money, yet families are loosing their homes, companies are losing their jobs, and communities are not being economically sustained. This is absolutely wrong. Wells Fargo go bailed out, the people got sold out.”
More photos from the event:
