Four years into negotiations, REI management declares bargaining impasse

Almost four years after they began bargaining with its unionized employees, management at the outdoor equipment retailer REI Co-op has declared an official bargaining impasse and walked away from the negotiating table, workers say.  

Last summer, REI and the two unions representing workers at 11 of the co-op's locations nationwide agreed to a national bargaining structure that resolved many of the outstanding unfair labor practice charges workers had brought. The agreement injected new, unified hope into the bargaining process and provided unionized workers with retroactive raises and bonuses that non-union workers had received between 2022 and 2024.  

But in late January, after months of relatively successful bargaining where both sides were able to come to agreements on over two-dozen counts, management presented workers with a last, best and final offer that included deep cuts to wages and benefits, Steve Buckley, a senior sales specialist at REI’s SoHo location, told The Chief.  

Frustrated with the offer, workers voted it down by an overwhelming margin and returned to the bargaining table in February, according to leadership of the United Food and Commercial Workers and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, that both represent REI workers. But bargaining in February concluded without an agreement after management walked away from the negotiating table and declared an impasse, the union leaders said. 

Workers and management were less than a percentage point away from agreement on wages when that happened, Buckley said, and remaining disagreements center on management’s refusal to guarantee workers’ just cause job security protections and arbitration for grievances. 

"We have most of the contract laid out,” said Buckley, a member of the bargaining committee and one of the original organizers of the REI SoHo union. "I think there is a deal within reach, but I think that REI has a fundamental issue with unions and they're trying to currently punish workers for unionizing." 

A spokesperson for REI said the company disagrees with the unions' interpretation of events, that the company did not act illegally or walk away from negotiations and that its goal is to reach an agreement that is “fair, sustainable, and in the best interest of our employees and the co-op.” 

“While we did not ultimately reach agreement, and the parties are at impasse, a lawful determination under federal labor law, it was not due to a lack of effort, care, or respect for the bargaining process or for our employees,” the spokesperson said. “We remain open and willing to return to the bargaining table and continue to believe that productive dialogue is the best path forward.” 

Workers rally 

But the unions insist that REI management is attempting to bust the union at REI and drag out bargaining as long as possible.  

Stuart Appelbaum, the president of the RWDSU, said in a statement that REI must stop its “anti-union theatrics” and return to the bargaining table immediately.  

 “By falsely declaring an impasse and walking away from the table, REI has moved beyond mere stalling and gone right back into an active, multi-yearslong campaign of union-busting,” he said. “REI workers have reached 25 tentative agreements in good faith, yet management would rather break the law than provide a fair, equitable contract.” 

To protest the halt of bargaining, REI workers from across the country held a protest in Seattle Washington on March 11. Claire Chang, a visual presentation specialist at REI’s SoHo location who’s worked at the Co-op for eight years, said at the rally that since workers unionized, REI has tried “many different aggressive tactics in an attempt to break our spirit and break our union.” 

"But it hasn’t worked,” Chang insisted. “In fact we've only grown in number and are more united and determined than ever before.” 

Last year, REI announced that it would be closing the SoHo location - its only physical store in New York City - as well as another unionized store in Boston. Chang and Buckley likely only have a few months as REI employees at the SoHo location left, and may not get jobs at other REI locations, so hope they can secure a first contract that leaves behind a legacy for REI workers of the future.  

"REI, it’s not too late to course correct,” Chang said. “Meet us at the table ready to reach a deal. We will not stop until we get a contract.”