REI Workers At New York Store Vote To Unionize

Workers at a flagship store in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City voted to unionize on Wednesday, creating the first organized location among the outdoor retailer's more than 170 stores.

The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union said in a statement that workers voted 88 to 14 in favor of joining. The results of union elections in the private sector need to be certified by the National Labor Relations Board.

After the vote count, a member of the union organizing committee said that she was proud to be a part of the new wave of unionization efforts.

Chang said in a statement through the union that they will be able to advocate for a more equitable, safe, and enriching work environment.

The union victory was acknowledged by REI.

The decision of whether or not to be represented by a union is an important one, and we respect each employee's right to choose or refuse union representation.

The brand that has cast itself as progressive when it comes to climate change, racial equity and other issues opposed the union effort, saying it would impact our ability to communicate directly with workers. The younger, left-leaning outdoors set has particular appeal to the member-owned cooperative, REI. It was mocked for producing a show that included Indigenous land acknowledgments.

The organizing campaign accused the retailer of using "textbook union- busting tactics" such as posting flyers around the store and holding mandatory meetings where workers heard anti-union talking points. Workers are petitioning the retailer to stop all union busting practices.

Pro-union workers on social media said they were seeking higher wages, better control over their schedules, and a voice on the job before the vote.

The RWDSU has 50,000 members working in grocery stores, poultry processing plants, warehouses and other industries. The SoHo store gives the union a toehold inside a big-name retailer, with the possibility of workers at other REI stores joining the campaign and petitioning the labor board for elections.

The retail business in the U.S. is mostly non-union and the RWDSU has long represented workers at several Macy's stores.

The president of the RWDSU said in a statement that the workers are ready to negotiate a strong contract that will allow them to uphold the co-op's progressive values.

The union lost a high-profile election at an Amazon warehouse in Alabama, but the National Labor Relations Board determined that Amazon had broken the law. Workers at the same facility are voting in a do-over election.

There is an explosion of organizing at Starbucks locations across the country. Three Starbucks stores in New York and Arizona have been unionized by the Workers United union, which is seeking elections at more than 100 other stores.

With union density near a historic low, labor supporters hope that such campaigns will spread to other household-name retailers and breathe new life into the labor movement.