Union REI Stores Win National Bargaining Table
After months of campaigning, the 11 unionized REI stores represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) and Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) have reached an agreement for a national bargaining structure.
Photo courtesy of AFL-CIO.
This is a major win in the fight for bargaining big — fighting growing corporate power with coordination across local unions and state lines.
REI union members are still fighting for a first contract with the outdoors and sporting equipment co-op, since the first REI store unionized in 2022.
REI union members are represented by UFCW Locals 5, 663, 700, 1208, 1445, 3000, and RWDSU Locals 379 and 1102.
Building a national bargaining table for REI workers is a powerful step towards winning a strong first contract and expanding the REI union to workers nationwide.
It also sends an important message: to take on large corporations, we need national bargaining tables. Grocery store workers in the UFCW still lack national bargaining tables for grocery giants Kroger and Albertsons, despite the companies’ attempts to continue consolidating power through mergers and acquisitions.
REI ski shop workers at the unionized location in New York City went on strike for 54 days around the Christmas holidays in 2024, demanding proper ventilation and safety equipment while repairing skis in the below-ground ski shop.
Workers at other REI locations nationwide have organized rallies and workplace actions to demand a fair contract. When we organize on the shop floor and bargain big, we can win big.