Historic Boycott of REI Concludes After Turning Away Thousands of Customers Across 30 States with Nearly 500 Boycott Actions

Union to Continue Pushing Company For Fair Contract Ahead of July 1 Company-Wide Benefit Cuts

300+ Co-op Members Joined UFCW Locals, RWDSU, and County Labor Councils at Hundreds of Customer Outreach Actions Across the Country as Stores Miss Sales Targets

Co-op Members Camped In at REI's Seattle Flagship Store in Support of Workers

REI San Diego Workers to Vote May 27 and 28 to Become Biggest Store in the REI Union

PHOTOS AVAILABLE HERE

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The REI Union's historic 10-day boycott of the REI Co-op's Anniversary Sale has concluded, after turning away thousands of shoppers across the country, with 70,000 customers pledging not to shop during the sale. Workers at the company's 11 unionized stores received an overwhelming show of support from REI Co-op members, who withheld their business to demand that REI end their bad faith bargaining and negotiate a fair contract.

"My union siblings and I have stood outside REI stores from coast to coast and talked to shoppers about the union-busting we've undergone for years," said Jeff Rosemeyer, a REI worker at the co-op's Castleton, Ind., store. "We asked them to stand with us and withhold their business for 10 days, and the response was overwhelming. We began this boycott to show REI that it can no longer afford to deny us a fair contract, and that's exactly what we did."

During the boycott, workers at REI stores in Durham, N.C., went out on unfair labor practice strikes due to REI's bad-faith bargaining. Workers at REI in Cleveland and Durham rallied with local leaders during the boycott, as well. During the boycott, workers reported that their stores missed daily sales targets, which had already been lowered to account for the consumer action.

"I'm proud to have stood alongside REI workers during this year's Anniversary Sale and not shop," said Margo Polley, a REI Co-op member in Seattle. "I was shocked to hear about the treatment of workers. REI is supposed to be the good guys. We are in this fight alongside the workers because REI's behavior affects us all. They deserve a fair contract, and we deserve a co-op that listens to its members - that's what being a co-op is about. REI has become a shell of its former self, but by being allies with green vests, we can restore it."

During the boycott, REI Co-op members joined workers at events across the country and volunteered to leaflet shoppers at REI. The participation of co-op members was a major part of the boycott's success, and this REI constituency will continue to be involved in the REI Union's fight for a fair contract. A REI Co-op member unfurled a banner in support of the boycott at the climbing wall in the Seattle flagship store, while another was arrested at the Seattle store in a sit-in protest of the company.

"These last 10 days proved co-op members' solidarity with unionized green vests," said Jacob Lish, a REI worker at the co-op's Maple Grove, Minn., store. "We appreciate all the support they have given us as we continue to push for a fair contract with fair pay, predictable scheduling, and strong benefits."

REI's enterprise-wide cuts to benefits and starting pay go into effect on July 1, while REI San Diego workers will vote in their union election on May 27 and 28. Contact [email protected] to arrange interviews with REI Union workers.

BACKGROUND

• At the most recent bargaining session, which concluded on April 30, REI proposed unacceptable terms, proving their unwillingness to reach a contract. REI's offer included a moratorium on the REI Union's organizing activity, which means the REI Union could not support workers at other REI stores hoping to unionize for the duration of the contract.

• REI's offer, which didn't come until the final day of bargaining, also included a non-disparagement agreement, which would prevent REI Union members from speaking up about working conditions or saying anything that could be perceived as negative about the co-op, effectively silencing them.

• In addition to the moratorium and non-disclosure proposals, the offer would make the union pay a mandatory $1 million annual donation to REI's charitable organization of choice. The offer was also a six-year contract term, double the length of previous contract terms that had been discussed.

• The REI Union has a broad coalition of support for the boycott, which is unsurprising given the overwhelming solidarity displayed by members over the last several years, especially during the "Vote No" board campaign last year. After two union-backed candidates were prohibited candidacy in REI's 2025 Board of Directors elections, the REI Union sent over 115,000 members to the company's website to vote down the candidates.

• Since the first REI store unionized in SoHo, N.Y., in 2022, 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.

• 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.

• As negotiations were taking place, REI unilaterally changed the bylaws of its board to allow the co-op to appoint unelected directors for a period of three years, whereas previously, directors had to be elected by co-op members. This was a clear attempt to stifle the voices of co-op members and stakeholders.

• 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 [email protected], Chelsea Connor - RWDSU [email protected]