REI Co-op, UFCW, and RWDSU Reach Agreement That Outlines a New Path Forward for Contract Negotiations

Today, REI Co-op, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW)​, and the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU),​ announced progress on several key topics,​ including an agreement to establish a national bargaining structure to inform store-level collective bargaining agreements for the 11 unionized REI stores. The agreement comes after joint meetings were held July 28-30 in Chicago, Ill.  

“We want what’s best for all REI workers, our customers, and the co-op,” said the REI Union bargaining committee. “This agreement is a tremendous step forward in negotiating a first contract, and we look forward to continuing to bargain with REI.” 

“This agreement reflects both sides' commitment to finding solutions to complex issues and clears the way for continued good faith discussions toward a collective bargaining agreement,” said REI Co-op. 

As part of the agreement, REI will provide wage increases and bonuses for the year​s​ 2022-2024 that workers at represented stores did not previously receive. Additionally, Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charges filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against the co-op were dropped.  

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) Locals 379 and 1102.  

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.  

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