Workers who are fighting for a union contract at REI have authorized a boycott of the outdoor retailer during its biggest sale of the year.
The union said Wednesday that an “overwhelming majority” of workers from 11 organized stores voted in favor of the move this week. If the boycott proceeds, the union would be asking customers not to shop REI’s anniversary sale, scheduled in May.
“The company is now unilaterally implementing cuts to benefits, starting wages, and raises for REI Union workers, which led union members to take this critical next step,” the union said in a statement.
A final call on the boycott would be made by May 1, the union added, leaving open the possibility that the two sides could make progress in negotiations.
As HuffPost reported last week, the boycott threat is a major escalation in the four-year labor battle at REI. Workers at nearly a dozen of the chain’s 190 stores have joined the United Food and Commercial Workers and its sister union, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, but they’ve faced strong pushback from leadership despite REI’s progressive reputation.
None of the union stores has a collective bargaining agreement yet, though REI has said it intends to reach a fair deal. A spokesperson previously told HuffPost that the retailer, which is structured as a consumer-owned cooperative, was disappointed to see a boycott under consideration.
“Actions like this aimed at weakening the business can have real, lasting consequences, and put the jobs, wages, benefits, and future opportunities employees depend on at risk,” the spokesperson said. “This certainly seems to undermine the very outcomes the union says it is focused on.”
“The union said Wednesday that an ‘overwhelming majority’ of workers from 11 organized stores voted in favor of green-lighting a boycott.”
The boycott call applies to REI’s website and all of its brick-and-mortar stores for the duration of the anniversary sale, which typically runs the 10 days leading up to Memorial Day. The event tends to bring the co-op its highest sales traffic of the year, with shoppers drawn in by member coupons and other discounts on camping and hiking gear.
Employees at unionized stores have gone on strike in the past, but have never called for a blanket boycott of the entire co-op to send a message.
Anni Saludo, a worker and union leader at REI’s Durham, North Carolina, store, recently told HuffPost she expects a significant number of shoppers to honor the boycott. Saludo said workers were encouraged to see how many REI members opposed board-of-director candidates based on the union’s recommendation, and how many refused to shop at her store when workers there were picketing.
“Our members will absolutely understand why we’re doing this,” Saludo said. “Our last strike we had at Durham, we had many members ask us what was happening and turn around and not shop.”
The REI campaign is one of several organizing efforts that have taken hold at previously non-union retailers, including Starbucks and Amazon. Although workers have succeeded in unionizing stores and facilities through union elections, it has proven much harder to secure a first collective bargaining agreement. As with REI, union members at Starbucks and Amazon are still without a contract.
