Washington, DC – The United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW), the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union-UFCW (RWDSU-UFCW), and outdoor recreation retailer REI announced last week that they have reached an agreement to establish a bargaining structure for union storefronts across the country.
Members of REI Union have been fighting for a first contract for three years that addresses low wages, under-staffing and unpredictable shift hours. However, workers say management has been slow-walking negotiations and bargaining in bad faith. The agreement came out of joint meetings in late July in Chicago where workers also secured progress on several key issues. As a result, REI will now retroactively provide wage increases and bonuses to workers at union-represented stores—benefits they had previously been denied—while the union will drop active ULP charges filed with the National Labor Relations Board.
“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.”
