REI Soho & Cleveland Workers File ULP Charges Against Company Amid Bargaining Delays

The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) this week announced it will be filing Unfair Labor Practice charges (ULPs) against REI, Inc. in both the SoHo and Cleveland unionized stores. This comes on the heels of REI’s notification to the union through its new legal counsel that many workers at the SoHo, New York store would be receiving pay cuts in their next paycheck amid a shakeup of the company’s legal representation at the bargaining table. All the charges highlight examples of REI’s continued efforts to undermine and suppress workers’ rights to bargain for a fair contract. Unionized workers at REI, Inc. will continue to fight to ensure their rights are respected and REI is held accountable for its outrageous behavior. The allegations lodged against REI demonstrate a flagrant disregard by REI for workers’ rights under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA).

“We believe it is clear that REI’s behavior is in direct violation of the NLRA and we will fight to ensure they’re held accountable for these and their numerous other abuses of this fundamental law. A company cannot hire the most notoriously anti-union law firm, fail to comply with basic federal labor law, and then turn around and call themselves progressive and preach progressive values. REI must be held accountable by the labor board and they must bargain in good faith,” said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). Read more here.