REI Co-op, UFCW and RWDSU Issue Joint Statement on Results of Contract Vote

In July 2025, REI Co-op and a coalition of union locals from the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) and the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Stores Union (RWDSU) agreed to establish a national bargaining structure to negotiate store-level collective bargaining agreements for the 11 unionized REI stores by the end of January 2026.

Today, the UFCW and RWDSU confirmed that employees at those 11 certified stores voted not to ratify the contract proposal, with a vote of 98.5% against ratification.

In light of the result, REI and the UFCW and RWDSU will continue good-faith discussions consistent with the agreed-upon timeline in the bargaining framework, which is scheduled for mid-February.