KNOW BEFORE YOU SHOP
AT REI THIS SUMMER
REI Isn’t the progressive company you think they are - they’re an anti-union employer that goes to great lengths to fight against a growing union movement.
We’ve been fighting hard for a first contract across our union stores, and we think it’s important for all REI shoppers to know just how much time, energy, and money REI devotes to union busting before heading into stores this summer. REI workers have been organizing for a better future at the Co-op since 2022, but the company’s response to unionization has been callous, undemocratic, and out-of-line with their values as a progressive employer.
Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about REI’s continued pattern of anti-union behavior. It’s an exhaustive list, as they’ve been union busting for years and avoiding their obligation to negotiate a fair deal.
We’re saying - enough is enough. It’s time for REI to STOP union busting and come negotiate. Add your name to our petition below to show your support for REI workers and call on Co-op leadership to stop fighting against our union movement.
The more members and shoppers we have standing behind our demands for fair negotiations, the more power we have to hold REI to its values.
"REI has hemorrhaged money for two years in a row. Now employees fear its famed outdoor-nerd culture is at risk"
August 19th, 2024 - Via Fortune Magazine:
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Through conversations with REI workers and a thorough analysis of REI’s financials, Fortune Magazine confirms what we've been echoing for a long time: REI is losing its way as a Co-op. Workers across the country are acutely aware of how far REI has strayed from its core values, despite Eric Artz continuing to stress that REI is a "values-based organization" that's committed to "collaborative impact.”
If Artz’s assertions were true - REI’s C-Suite would commit to bargaining good faith and embracing workers’ ideas for a better Co-op. Instead, they’ve doubled down on hiring from executives from other big corporations and implementing unilateral changes without consulting the green vests who make our Co-op special.
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REI’s Union Busting Explained
A recent HuffPost investigation shows that workers at REI Austin have endured gross sexual harassment while organizing their store. Then, when they've spoken out against this behavior, they've faced intimidation, retaliation, and unfair termination from their management.
Workers should NEVER have to deal with this kind of backlash after standing up for each other and demanding they be treated with dignity - but this is the reality at REI. We face union busting nearly every day, despite our Co-op’s claims that they start from a place of respect.