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 at our stores 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.
Looking for ways to support our campaign?
REI accused of widespread labor law violations at unionized US stores
November 15th 2023 — REUTERS: REI, the camping and outdoor sports equipment retailer, was accused on Wednesday of dozens of violations of U.S. labor law at eight retail stores that have unionized since last year.
Workers at stores in New York, California, Chicago and Boston, among others, filed a total of 80 complaints with the U.S. National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) seeking to force the company to bargain with their unions.
The complaints claim that REI has retaliated against pro-union workers, restructured jobs and changed working conditions without input from the unions, as well as stalled bargaining with unions that won elections at the stores.
REI Workers Take Nationwide Legal Action Against Employer
REI Gets Hit with 80 Federal Labor Charges Showing Pattern of Egregious and Pervasive Anti-Worker Behavior
November 15th 2023 — Washington, D.C. – Today, unionized REI workers with the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), filed coordinated, nationwide unfair labor practice charges against their employer, Recreational Equipment, Inc. (REI), 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 filed charges with their regional National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) offices.
At REI, a Progressive Company Warns That Unionization Is Bad for Vibes
Employees at the member-owned co-op have voted to unionize at several locations—and they’ve also accused the company of trying to stop them from organizing.
November 15th 2023 — BLOOMBERG: Last year, during a mandatory meeting of employees at a Manhattan REI store, a manager ticked off a list of what he called “serious red flags” about the union trying to organize the company’s employees. The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) has suffered a decline in membership and revenue, he said, which should be concerning. What’s more, he said, “they’ve allocated barely any revenue to social impact,” according to an audio recording of the gathering reviewed by Bloomberg Businessweek. “Compare that to our $6.3 million to nonprofit partners in 2021 alone.”
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…