On March 7, REI workers from across the country who have unionized with the UFCW and RWDSU gathered at REI’s national headquarters in Issaquah, Wash., and called on management to bargain in good faith.
REI Union National Steering Committee Members from all nine unionized stores in SoHo, N.Y.; Berkeley, Calif.; Cleveland; Chicago; Boston; Durham, N.C.; Bellingham, Wash.; Maple Grove, Minn.; and Castleton, Ind., participated in the march to REI’s national headquarters. They were joined by REI co-op members, community members, and local elected officials, including King County Councilmembers Girmay Zahilay and Sarah Perry.
Throughout the process of trying to bargain the first contract for REI workers, the company has engaged in ongoing bad faith bargaining practices and unilateral workplace changes that show a pattern of egregious anti-union behavior and retaliatory actions against workers. Despite these tactics, the growing unionization movement at REI is building momentum, with the ninth REI location winning their election outright on Feb. 9 in Castleton.
“After winning our union election less than a month ago, I’m excited and energized to stand alongside my colleagues from stores across the nation to make our demands heard,” said George Reed (he/him), who works at REI Castleton. “REI brands itself as a co-op of like-minded outdoors enthusiasts that unites workers and customers alike to form enduring communities united by progressive values. That is exactly what this growing REI union movement is doing, ensuring that all REI workers are treated with respect. This means securing the basic scheduling, compensation, and staffing practices needed for a safe and dignified workplace.”
“As an elected member of our bargaining committee, I have been incredibly frustrated and disappointed by REI’s continued refusal to actually bargain with us,” said Steve Buckley (he/him), who is a senior sales specialist at REI SoHo. “They have taken all REI employees from the management side of the table and replaced them with lawyers who lack a basic understanding of how the stores and company functions. This, combined with the repeated rejections of our proposals and refusal to give counters, has stalled the process, which feels incredibly intentional. What hurts most is knowing that it does not need to be like this. Before Morgan Lewis took over, we were making real progress at the table and were able to find common ground. Our committee remains dedicated to resolving all outstanding issues and reaching a contract that reflects our contribution to the co-op. We call on REI to do the same. Come to the table and get this done.”
You can learn more about the national REI campaign here.