Union representing 1.7 mil teachers dumps Wells Fargo over relationship with the NRA and gun makers

by Jen Hayden

Community

Thursday, Apr. 19, 2018 Thursday, Apr. 19, 2018 at 11:26:02am PDT

AURORA, CO - JULY 01: Ricky Torrez, 3, raises his fist with fellow demonstrators staging a protest outside a Wells Fargo bank branch on July 1, 2011 in Aurora, Colorado. A coalition of immigrant advocacy groups staged a 'national day of action' march to Wells Fargo branches. They say that Wells Fargo is a major shareholder in the private prison company GEO Group, Inc, which houses thousands of undocumented immigrants, many scheduled for deportation by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, (ICE). The rights groups called on bank clients to close their Wells Fargo bank accounts in protest. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)

Campaign Action

Advocates for common sense gun law reforms aren’t showing any signs of slowing down. In fact, there is new momentum and activists (teachers, mothers, fathers, students) keep finding new ways to impact the business of guns. From USA Today:

The American Federation of Teachers on Thursday notified the San Francisco-based financial giant that it is dropping the bank as a recommended mortgage lender for the national education union's 1.7 million members.

The action came after Wells Fargo spurned the union's call to cut lending ties with or impose new restrictions on firearms business partners following the Feb. 14 mass shooting that killed 17 people at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

Wells Fargo CEO Tim Sloan told AFT President Randi Weingarten in an April 3 letter obtained by USA TODAY that the best route to combatting gun violence "is through the political and legislative process." Although Sloan suggested a meeting or conference call to discuss the issue, the sides never got together.

More, please. Activism like this can be very effective in the long term.