WE ARE THE
REI UNION
We are unionizing at REI!
We know that as workers at REI, we are at the center of what makes our stores great. Our shared passion for the outdoors and spirit of inclusiveness is what keeps our members coming into our stores. Our hard work and expertise have value and deserve respect.
We’re unionizing at REI because we have not been provided with the working conditions and benefits we need to do the job we love. REI needs to be held accountable to their stated values. Too many of us are struggling to make ends meet, and we shouldn’t have to worry about things like sudden cuts to our hours.
Having a union contract gives you and your coworkers a voice in the policies that affect your daily work lives and the ability to secure the benefits you deserve. That’s why we’re coming together at REI to advocate for guaranteed minimum hours, pay that reflects our value and seniority, improved safety standards, and real job protections - all guaranteed in writing.
We voted to unionize in Soho, Berkeley, and Cleveland to help build a better REI for everyone! We believe that the REAL way forward is with a union and that no matter where you work, you and your coworkers should have a say in how your store is run. We all deserve better. We all deserve a union.
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BREAKING NEWS
Two Wins in One Night: REI Bellingham Votes to Unionize
REI union workers say "we go further together"
June 10th, 2023 – (BELLINGHAM, WA) – On the heels of REI Maple Grove's win just hours before, workers at REI Bellingham announced that their store voted to unionize 40 to 12 last night with UFCW Local 3000. This will make Bellingham the 8th REI store to unionize and the third to vote union yes in just over two weeks' time.
On an online statement the REI Bellingham workers said that "we are ready to move forward together and fight for a fair contract."
REI Maple Grove Joins Growing Union Movement
Minnesota co-op location votes overwhelmingly to join REI Union
June 9th, 2023 – (MAPLE GROVE, MN) – The REI store in Maple Grove voted nearly unanimously to unionize their store with UFCW Local 663 tonight. Voting 22 to 4, the REI Maple Grove Union said "we're so grateful to have such a loving workplace that embraced this opportunity to bring real change to our REI" in a statement online announcing the win.
REI Maple Grove will become the 7th store to unionize overall across the company, and the fourth to unionize since the union surge that began with REI Chicago in May.
REI Durham Votes to Unionize
‘We really feel the power’: Durham REI workers vote to unionize after strike
May 25, 2023 – (DURHAM, NC) – Twenty years after the store opened, workers at the REI Co-op in Durham have voted to unionize. Employees of the outdoor clothing and gear store voted 20 to 12 for union representation Thursday.
REI Boston union election result: REI Boston votes union YES
May 16, 2023 – (BOSTON, MA) – Following REI Boston's union election on Monday, May 15th 2023, the tally counts 44 votes in favor of union representation and 23 opposed. This result makes Boston the fifth REI store to file and win their union election across the company, with more elections on the way from REI locations in Eugene, OR, Durham, NC, Bellingham, WA, and Maple Grove, MN.
REI Chicago workers win their union election
Employees at REI’s only Chicago location vote to unionize
May 5th, 2023 – (CHICAGO, IL) – "Workers at REI’s only Chicago location voted to unionize with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union in an election held by the National Labor Relations Board on Thursday.
Employees of the outdoor goods retailer’s Chicago location said yes to the union in a vote of 41 to eight, with five ballots challenged, according to RWDSU spokesperson Chelsea Connor. The store’s staff include employees who sell outdoor gear and apparel, handle inventory and repair gear, including bikes and skis.
The 905 W. Eastman St. store is the fourth unionized REI in the country. Since the spring of 2022, REI staff have voted to unionize at stores in Manhattan, Berkeley, California, and Ohio."
Why We're Unionizing At REI
A union is a group of coworkers who come together to make work better.
This means WE are the union. We determine what our priorities are and set our goals for negotiations.
UFCW and RWDSU’s role is to to help us build our union, whether that’s helping us organize our stores, supplying legal aid, assisting in contract negotiations, or providing representatives to protect the rights and benefits we negotiate in our union contracts.
CAN
Bargain over all your working conditions, not just those REI wants to change.
Get representation, including in contract and policy negotiations and disciplinary meetings.
Have a say in all company policies that affect working conditions.
Have real job security and protection from unjust termination.
When you have a union, you…
CANNOT
Implement a contract that has not received a majority vote from you and your coworkers.
Be required to have union representation in your conversations with management.
Go on strike unless a vast majority of your coworkers vote yes to do so.
Be terminated without sufficient cause.
When you have a union, you…