REI SoHo Ski Shop Workers Strike for Safety

REI SoHo ski shop workers unionized with the RWDSU walked off the job on a ULP strike on Wed, Dec 4, and remain on the picket line. Ski shop workers are required to melt plastic and wax to repair skis, up to 8-15 pairs a day at the peak of ski season. This work has typically been done with the use of respirators in past years. Yet, on October 4, REI imposed a new “voluntary respirator policy” nationwide that declared, without providing any evidence, that PPE are not necessary when conducting ski tunes. In the case of SoHo, managers marched into the shop and removed all existing PPE: half-face reusable respirators, the replacement filters for those, and all N-95 masks.

The bike and ski shop workers of REI SoHo are calling on customers and supporters to email REI and demand that they provide referenced reports that the shop is well-ventilated and safe enough to work in; return ski shop workers’ respirators; get an industrial hygienist to inspect the shop; ensure that the PPE be properly managed and maintained; and negotiate with workers over this policy change. Follow @reiunionsoho on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter to follow the campaign!