Posts Categorized: Retail

Workers at the Rainbow Blossom Natural Food Markets store in Louisville, Ky., recently joined UFCW Local 227 for a union voice in the workplace.

The 28 workers, who are employed as cashiers; customer service, produce, grocery, and grab and go clerks; blossom bar baristas; and produce, grocery, wellness, and grab and go department managers and assistant department managers, voted to join UFCW Local 227 because they wanted an equal voice with ownership, and were concerned about insufficient wages and the lack of a Human Resources Department. They also wanted more transparency within the workplace, and the ability to address various workplace safety concerns.

The campaign to organize these workers included Zoom and in-person meetings, as well as a discord channel for the committee and the entire store. The workers wore buttons throughout the campaign and blue on election day to show solidarity.

“We are so excited about our win and to have the UCFW represent Rainbow Blossom Gardiner Lane! We love Rainbow, our customers, and our products, and we want to be able to make livelihoods here,” said Eleri Steele, who is a wellness department manager. “Unfortunately, the current wages and management practices are unsustainable for us workers. We put so much love and energy into our positions and still don’t earn enough to put food on the table, let alone the expensive organic food we sell. We have tried for years to get management to hear us, but our concerns have been falling on deaf ears for too long. We’re so grateful to the UCFW for helping us get to this point and can’t wait to see our siblings at our other four locations win their own campaigns.” 

On Nov. 15, unionized Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI) workers with the UFCW and RWDSU filed coordinated, nationwide unfair labor practice charges against their employer.

The charges were filed over the company’s bad faith bargaining practices and unilateral workplace changes that show a pattern of egregious anti-union behavior, emotional manipulation, and retaliatory actions against workers, such as firings, changes to work schedules, and disciplinary practices. Workers from all eight unionized REI locations in SoHo, N.Y.; Berkeley, Calif.; Cleveland, Ohio; Chicago, Ill.; Boston, Mass.; Durham, N.C.; Maple Grove, Minn.; and Bellingham, Wash., filed charges with their regional National Labor Relations Board offices.

The filings come on the heels of REI worker walkouts at the Chicago, Maple Grove, and Boston locations, as well as coordinated actions across eight states with REI workers engaging customers and raising awareness of the company’s hypocritical mistreatment of its workers.

“Today, unionized REI workers from across the country stood up and said enough is enough. We will not sit by as management systematically spreads misinformation, subjects employees to emotional manipulation, and commits clear violations of federal labor law,” said Clare Davis (she/her), a bike and snow shop senior mechanic at the Berkeley REI store. “Current leadership has abandoned the vision of the founders who truly lived REI’s progressive values and love for the outdoors. The workers at REI are keeping that vision alive with our hard work, expertise, community service, and yes, by forming a union. Despite the onslaught of union-busting tactics, we will keep organizing and winning elections. When we stand together, we win.”

“We, the workers of REI Union SoHo, have spent over 18 months pushing for a first contract. The struggle has been difficult, but we’re continuing to fight because we NEED meaningful change in our workplace, said Graham Gale (they/them), a shop mechanic at the SoHo REI store. “REI has targeted us, the first store to organize, from the very beginning, and now in an aggressive move, they hired Amazon’s notorious union busting attorney, Morgan Lewis. This decision made clear that REI is more interested in fighting its own workers than having meaningful negotiations with us. We’ve spent the last six months in only a handful of sessions, and seeing little agreement, while re-educating the new lawyers on our long-held issues. We join together with all of the unionized stores nationwide today to DEMAND that REI bargain in good faith towards a fair first contract. REI, if you truly believe in the values you profess, come to the table. Until then, green vests from coast to coast will continue to build power, numbers, and solidarity; this union is not going anywhere.”