{"id":64275,"date":"2026-03-11T16:30:11","date_gmt":"2026-03-11T20:30:11","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ufcw.org\/?post_type=press_releases&p=64275"},"modified":"2026-03-11T17:30:04","modified_gmt":"2026-03-11T21:30:04","slug":"rei-fails-to-reach-agreement","status":"publish","type":"press_releases","link":"https:\/\/www.ufcw.org\/press-releases\/rei-fails-to-reach-agreement\/","title":{"rendered":"REI Fails to Reach Agreement with Union After Months of Negotiations"},"content":{"rendered":"
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One Year After New CEO takes Charge, Co-op Continues to Union Bust <\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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SEATTLE, WASH. \u2013 <\/strong>Today, the REI Union<\/a><\/u><\/strong>\u00a0held a press conference in Seattle, Wash., pulling\u00a0 back the curtain on contract negotiations with the REI Co-op over the past six months. As part of their multi-year-long anti-union campaign and despite reaching 25 tentative agreements, REI made the decision to illegally declare impasse, walk away from negotiations, and unilaterally implement wage cuts for REI union workers.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201cWe won our union election four years ago because we wanted a way to hold our employer accountable for their decisions and actions, to take care of one another, and to have respect and dignity at our workplace. We wanted this co-op to live up to its values,\u201d said\u00a0REI SoHo worker Claire Chang<\/strong>. \u201cSince then, REI has tried many different aggressive tactics in an attempt to break our spirits and break our union. But it hasn\u2019t worked. In fact, we\u2019ve only grown in number and are more united and determined than ever before.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n

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During negotiations, REI announced deep cuts to workers\u2019 benefits packages, a key marker of bad-faith bargaining. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201cAmong many others, they cut our retirement, our health care, our vacation days, holiday pay for part-time workers, plus the personal and unpaid time we\u2019ve always set aside to go outside and return with real experience that we could pass on to our members,\u201d said\u00a0REI Bellingham worker Alex Pollitt<\/strong>. \u201cIt\u2019s like they think the outdoors are only for the people who can afford it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n

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REI Union workers were joined by co-op members (shoppers) and elected officials who condemned the co-op\u2019s actions. <\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201cMore than a year ago, I stood with workers outside REI’s Issaquah headquarters and my message remains the same: Every worker deserves an employer who will come to the table and bargain in good faith. I know REI can rise to this moment, lean into its values and come back to the table to reach a fair deal,\u201d said\u00a0King County Executive Girmay Zahilay<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Leadership from the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW<\/a><\/u>) International Union<\/strong> and the Retail, Wholesale, Department Store Union (RWDSU<\/a><\/u>)<\/strong> released statements condemning the Co-op\u2019s vehemently anti-union actions.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201cREI workers bargained for months, but in the end, the co-op stuck to its anti-union core,\u201d said UFCW International President Milton Jones<\/strong>. \u201cAll workers deserve to have stable working conditions and wages that allow them to live their lives. REI has an opportunity to come back to the table \u2013 they must take it.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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\u201cREI\u2019s attempt to paint itself as a progressive, values-based co-op is a total illusion so long as they continue to treat their own employees with such blatant disrespect,\u201d said Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). <\/strong>\u201cBy falsely declaring an impasse and walking away from the table, REI has moved beyond mere stalling and gone right back into an active, multi-yearslong campaign of union-busting. REI workers have reached 25 tentative agreements in good faith, yet management would rather break the law than provide a fair, equitable contract. REI must stop these anti-union theatrics and return to the bargaining table immediately.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/div><\/blockquote>\n<\/div>\n\n

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Email press@ufcw.org<\/a><\/u> to speak with an REI Union worker spokesperson.<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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BACKGROUND<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n

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