FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 7, 2024
Contact: Chelsea Connor | cconnor@rwdsu.org | 347-866-6259
REI WORKERS FROM ACROSS THE COUNTRY MARCHED TO REI HQ AND DEMANDED MANAGEMENT BARGAIN IN GOOD FAITH
Workers from all Nine Unionized Stores Across the Country and Their Allies Called on Management to Come to the Table Outside and Delivered a Unified List of National Demands
(SEATTLE, WASHINGTON) – Today, REI workers from across the country who have unionized with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) and the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) hiked to REI’s national headquarters in Issaquah, Washington, where they delivered their unified national platform to the company and called on management to bargain in good faith at tables outside – bringing bargaining to their literal doorstep. REI Bargaining Committee representatives from all nine unionized stores traveled from across the country, some as far as 3,000+ miles, to face company management who only needed to walk mere feet to meet workers at the table. Workers faced a lone empty chair available for REI CEO Eric Artz, who never showed. REI Union Members were joined by REI co-op members, community members, and local elected officials including King County Councilmembers Girmay Zahilay and Sarah Perry and more. Union Representatives from all nine Bargaining Committee’s co-signed a letter of commitment to reach a contract by the end of 2024, which workers also delivered to REI Headquarters today, the union is awaiting response from the company.
Watch the March 6, 2024 Zoom Press Conference where workers from across the country unveiled their new national platform and announced the location of their final leg of their hike across the nation, REI’s Headquarters, where they would demand the company come out and bargain in good faith.
In the days leading up to the final leg of the workers’ metaphorical march across the country, workers at all nine unionized stores in SoHo, New York; Berkeley, California; Cleveland, Ohio; Chicago, Illinois; Durham, North Carolina; Boston, Massachusetts; Bellingham, Washington; Maple Grove, Minnesota; and Castleton, Indiana participated in hikes, bike rides, and other outdoor activities, with each activity representing a new demand in their new national platform. These activities were widely shared on social media and in a virtual press conference yesterday which can be viewed and used by media here, photos and videos from today’s action are available for media use here.
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 February 9, 2024 in Castleton, Indiana.
“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. 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,” said Steve Buckley (He/Him), Senior Sales Specialist, REI SoHo, New York.
“At our community event, members of our team shared stories about their experiences with REI’s sick policy and health care plans.It’s difficult for us to adequately take care of ourselves under the current conditions. So many of my peers have to come to work sick because they don’t have adequate sick time and if you get enough unexcused absences you can get fired, which has happened before at our store. Being a chronically ill person myself, the system has been difficult to navigate – it’s not easy to get adequate accommodations – and even when you do, they’re often less than ideal. As a union, we’re really fighting to make policies that actually work for the workers and allow us all the time and resources we need to take care of ourselves,” said Cloud Schneider (They/Them), Sales Lead, REI Cleveland, Ohio.
“The essentials we are asking for as a union are simply the basic necessities to live a healthy life. We should not be expected to accept living paycheck to paycheck. I’m consistently one emergency away from financial disaster. I cannot save any money. I have never been able to save money, and it costs too much to pay for housing and food and necessities to have enough to set aside. How can a company which claims such ‘progressive’ values not be ashamed to fight workers who are asking for such reasonable, essential things? Our union is strong and proud, and knows that what we are asking for is important. Several co-op and community members came to support our walkout in Chicago a few weeks ago because they also relate and recognize that workers deserve better treatment and wages. Our union has solidarity with other unions, laborers, and the community, and it helps make us a stronger force,” said Margaux Lantelme (She/Her), Frontline & Banker, REI Chicago, Illinois.
REI Bargaining Committee representatives from all nine unionized stores traveled from across the country, some as far as 3,000+ miles, to face company management who only needed to walk mere feet to meet workers at the table. Workers faced a lone empty chair available for REI CEO Eric Artz, who never showed.
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:
Workers at the first organized REI store have been bargaining with the company for a first union contract for almost two years, while others have been left to languish at the table for months after winning their elections a year or more ago. Exactly a year into contract negotiations at the first store, REI announced it was changing its legal representation across all of its stores to Morgan Lewis, a notoriously, vehemently anti-union law firm. This led REI to cancel all bargaining sessions in the immediate weeks, and roll back an agreement to give the first unionized store the same increased pay scale it offered other non-unionized stores the day after their election, meaning workers have been working with less pay at that store than all of the other stores for almost a year. When negotiations resumed later in the summer, the move forced the worker-led bargaining committees at many stores to waste time recapitulating proposals that have been on the table for months, derailing and delaying bargaining.
In November, 2023, in the first nationally coordinated effort, all eight unionized stores (at the time, now nine) filed a combined 80 unfair labor practice charges (ULPs) over the company’s bad faith bargaining practices and unilateral workplace changes that showed a pattern of egregious anti-union behavior against workers. Charges are still pending before the National Labor Relations Board.
In recent months, only REI’s attorneys have been appearing at bargaining sessions, further delaying the process of getting to a contract. Company management and decision makers have continually failed to attend sessions and negotiate with workers directly. The national worker committee is saying enough is enough and on March 7, workers literally brought the bargaining tables to the company and demanded they come out and bargain in good faith. REI cannot turn a blind eye to workers on their doorstep. REI may think if they stay in their Washington treehouse the movement will shrink, but in fact, the REI Union is only growing, as a ninth store in Castleton, Indiana joined their fellow unionized workers just weeks ago.
###
The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) represents 100,000 members throughout the United States. The RWDSU is affiliated with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW). For more information, please visit our website at www.rwdsu.org, Facebook:/RWDSU.UFCW Twitter:@RWDSU.
Learn more about the growing REI unionization movement here.