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Wells Fargo Sponsoring Extreme Right-Wing Amidst Worker Organizing

Jeremy Sprinkle
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For Immediate Release

February 27, 2026 

Wells Fargo Sponsoring Extreme Right-Wing John Locke Foundation Conference Amidst Worker Organizing Efforts

North Carolina’s labor unions sound the alarm on Wells Fargo’s financial ties to far-right think tanks as bank workers organize for fair working conditions

Raleigh, NC – Wells Fargo, one of North Carolina's largest employers, is under scrutiny for its sponsorship of the 2026 Carolina Liberty Conference, hosted by the extreme right-wing John Locke Foundation (JLF) on February 27th and 28th in Raleigh. This financial support comes as Wells Fargo workers across the country, including in North Carolina, are actively organizing for better working conditions with the Communications Workers of America (CWA).

The John Locke Foundation advocates statewide for an agenda that includes:

  • Tax cuts for corporations and the wealthy, having successfully pushed for the corporate tax rate to be reduced to 0% by 2030, a move critics argue is creating North Carolina's current budget crisis.
  • "Donor privacy" legislation to limit the disclosure of political donors and shield dark money groups from public scrutiny.
  • School privatization and voucher expansion.
  • Enshrining "right-to-work" laws in the state's constitution.
  • Anti-immigrant policies, including removing protections for asylum seekers.

Wells Fargo’s sponsorship of this conference is a direct endorsement of the JLF’s agenda, which is fundamentally opposed to the interests of working families in North Carolina.

“It is deeply concerning that a corporation employing thousands of North Carolinians would funnel money to a group actively working to undermine workers’ rights, public education, and sound fiscal policy,” said NC State AFL-CIO President Braxton Winston. “This sponsorship stands in stark contrast to the efforts of their own employees who are organizing for a voice on the job.”

Wells Fargo workers have successfully organized and won NLRB elections with CWA at 30 Wells Fargo branches nationwide, including one in Apex, North Carolina, and in one corporate department. Approximately 34,000 Wells Fargo workers live in North Carolina, with 27,000 employed in Charlotte alone, making the company the 5th largest employer in the state.

The company has a significant lobbying presence in North Carolina, spending over $688,000 on lobbying over the past decade, with 93% of those disclosures relating to "Government, taxation, financing, revenue, budget, appropriations, bids, fees, funds.”

Furthermore, Wells Fargo has funded the campaigns of John Locke Foundation keynote speaker, NC Senate Majority Leader Michael Lee.

The revelation of this sponsorship highlights a stark conflict between Wells Fargo’s public image as a community-oriented employer and the reality of its financial support for an organization committed to a radical, anti-worker political platform. This support raises questions about the company's commitment to its North Carolina workforce, especially given that CEO Charles Scharf received $40 million in compensation in 2025.

Contact: Jeremy Sprinkle, [email protected], 336-255-2711.

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The North Carolina State AFL-CIO is the largest association of local unions and union councils in North Carolina, representing over one-hundred twenty-five thousand union members, fighting for good jobs, safe workplaces, workers’ rights, consumer protections, and quality public services on behalf of ALL working people.