REI Workers from Across the Country March to REI HQ and Demand Management Bargain in Good Faith
On Thursday, 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 Union National Steering Committee Members from all nine unionized stores were joined by REI co-op members, community members, and local elected officials.
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.
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 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," said Steve Buckley, Senior Sales Specialist at REI SoHo, New York. "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." Read more here!