As Historic REI Boycott Continues, Workers Reflect on Four-Year Fight for a Contract

REI Union leafleting and rallying in 30 states, turning away thousands of customers during REI Co-op’s Anniversary Sale

Boycott the latest action in yearslong campaign for a fair contract

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – As the landmark boycott led by the REI Union continues, workers and supporters have turned away thousands of customers at brick-and-mortar REI stores across 30 states. The boycott will continue through Memorial Day until May 25, when the REI Co-op’s Anniversary Sale concludes. The boycott is the latest in a four-year campaign to reach a fair union contract with the company. 

“We started organizing REI for fair pay, consistent scheduling, and to hold REI accountable to its values,” said Jason Miller, a REI worker in Greensboro, N.C. “Since then, we have been fought at every turn and denied a fair contract, while raises and benefits have been systematically taken away from us. We have gone on strikes, filed dozens of Unfair Labor Practice charges, defeated company-backed board candidates, and now we are boycotting. We will continue to stand up for better jobs for everyone at REI, no matter what union-busting tactic is thrown at us.”

“The support we have received during our campaign has been remarkable,” said Andy Trebing, a REI worker in Chicago. “Co-op members want REI to do right by us and respect our union, that’s why they’re boycotting and helping us get the word out. Now, our managers are stressed about sales goals during the biggest sale of the year. This boycott makes it clear that when we stand together, we have power.”

“REI is trying to silence workers and members who deserve a voice in this co-op,” said Stephanie Miller, a 28-year REI Co-op member who police arrested during a sit-in at REI’s Seattle flagship store. “We won’t be silenced. Workers deserve a fair contract, now!” 

Green vests at REI have faced four years of bad faith contract negotiations and a scorched-earth union-busting campaign. Below is a year-by-year summary since the campaign began:

2022

In January 2022, workers at the REI SoHo store in New York City became the first to file for a union election, winning their union in March with RWDSU. Shortly after their victory, REI’s corporate “progressive” values were exposed as a sham. That summer, REI Berkeley joined the unionizing effort with their election win, and workers at both stores began bargaining for their first contract.
Following the first successful union election at the co-op, REI announced “The Way Forward” program, billed as “a new commitment to create a workplace where employees feel heard, feel supported, and can thrive.” The program provided raises and new health insurance benefits to employees. But now, in 2026, REI is rolling back the program by lowering starting wages and sunsetting its Access healthcare plan.

2023

Throughout 2023, workers at more REI stores went union, with stores in Chicago, Cleveland, Durham, Boston, Maple Grove (Minnesota), and Bellingham joining the union. 
Workers at REI Beachwood (Cleveland) and REI SoHo filed the first multi-store set of Unfair Labor Practice charges over unjust pay cuts and bad faith bargaining. Later that year, the REI Union filed 80 federal charges at the National Labor Relations Board over the company’s actions. Recordings later revealed the extent of REI’s union-busting tactics during captive audience meetings. Check out the 2023 year-in-review.

2024

In 2024, workers at REI Castleton (Indianapolis) and REI Santa Cruz won their union elections. The REI Union held a coordinated week of action during that year’s Anniversary Sale that included strikes at REI locations across the country. 
At the end of the year, the REI Union endorsed Tefere Gebre and Shemona Moreno for REI’s board elections, and a report revealed rampant labor and human rights violations in REI’s supply chain. Check out the 2024 year-in-review.

2025

In January, shortly after then-REI CEO Eric Artz announced his retirement, more than 60 members of Congress sent a letter to REI’s board demanding that they bargain in good faith with workers. REI Greensboro workers won their union election the same month, becoming the 11th store to unionize.
The National Labor Relations Board found evidence that REI retaliated against workers by withholding raises and bargaining in bad faith and issued a complaint against the co-op.
After Tefere Gebre and Shemona Moreno were denied spots on REI’s board election ballots, the REI Union launched the “Vote No” campaign, defeating REI’s entire hand-picked candidate slate, with more than 115,000 REI Co-op members participating.
In July 2025, REI and the union agreed to establish a national bargaining structure to reach collective bargaining agreements for the 11 unionized REI stores. As part of the agreement, REI provided wage increases and bonuses for the years 2022-2025 that the company previously withheld from workers at represented stores.
In a clear attempt to stifle the growing voices of co-op members and stakeholders, REI unilaterally changed its bylaws in the middle of contract negotiations to give the board unprecedented power to appoint unelected directors for a period of three years, whereas previously, unelected directors could only be appointed for a single year. 

2026

At the conclusion of national bargaining, REI made a final offer to the union that would pay unionized workers less than non-union workers. REI Union workers resoundingly rejected the offer with a vote of 98.5 percent against it. 
Further proving their unwillingness to bargain in good faith for a fair contract, during the most recent bargaining session, which concluded on April 30, REI proposed outlandish terms that included a moratorium on the REI Union’s organizing activity, a non-disparagement agreement to prevent REI Union members from speaking out, a mandatory $1 million annual donation to REI’s charitable organization of choice, and to double the length of the proposed contract from three to six years. 
The REI Union began its historic boycott on May 15, and workers at REI San Diego have filed for their union election, set to take place later in May.

REI’s Anniversary Sale occurs every May and is the retailer’s largest event of the year. Contact press@ufcw.org to receive a full timeline of the REI Union’s campaign and to arrange interviews with REI Union workers.

BACKGROUND

The REI Co-op has engaged in a scorched-earth union-busting campaign both in-store and at the bargaining table, complete with the intimidation of workers, lies about unionization, and the termination of many vocal union supporters. In response, workers have held several multi-day walkouts, community and co-op member actions, garnered support from elected officials from across the country, and more. 

REI workers unionized for fair pay, sustainable scheduling practices, and better working conditions. The company is now unilaterally implementing cuts to benefits, starting wages, and raises for REI Union workers. 

Since 2022, 11 REI stores have voted to unionize: SoHo, N.Y.; Berkeley, Calif.; Cleveland, Ohio; Chicago, Ill.; Boston, Mass.; Durham, N.C.; Maple Grove, Minn.; Bellingham, Wash.; Castleton, Ind.; Santa Cruz, Calif.; and Greensboro, N.C., with a 12th store recently filing to unionize in San Diego, Calif. 

REI union members are represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Locals 5, 663, 700, 1208, 1445, 3000, and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). 

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REI Union members are represented by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union (UFCW) and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). Learn more about the growing REI unionization movement here. 

The UFCW International is the largest private sector union in the United States, representing 1.2 million workers and their families in retail, grocery, meatpacking, food processing, healthcare, cannabis, and other essential industries. UFCW members serve our communities in all 50 states, Canada and Puerto Rico. Learn more about the UFCW at ufcw.org.

The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) represents 100,000 members throughout the United States. The RWDSU is affiliated with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW). For more information, please visit our website at www.rwdsu.org, Facebook: /RWDSU.UFCW Twitter: @RWDSU.

CONTACTS: Finn Storer – UFCW fstorer@ufcw.org, Chelsea Connor – RWDSU cconnor@rwdsu.org