Rei soho strike

New issue out now. Subscribe to our print edition today. On the afternoon of February 24, in the basement of the Hudson Park Library in lower Manhattan, a crowd of rei soho strike gathered to see a play.

REI, the outdoor equipment company, has long touted its progressive ideals. In fact, the story of progressive companies turning on their workers when they try to organize has become commonplace. Actors , nurses , baristas , delivery drivers , and teachers have also unionized in recent years for better pay and fair treatment. This year-long contract had guaranteed employees the same wages as other locations — solely on the condition that they would withhold their right to strike. The afternoon the contract expired, their wages were once again cut.

Rei soho strike

We are unionizing at REI! We know that as workers at REI, we are at the center of what makes our stores great. Our shared passion for the outdoors and spirit of inclusiveness is what keeps o ur members coming into our stores. Our hard work and expertise have value and deserve respect. REI needs t o be held accountable to their stated values. Having a union contract gives you and your coworkers a voice in the policies that affect your daily work lives and the ability to secure the benefits you deserve. W e voted to unionize at our stores to help buil d a better REI for everyon e! We believe that the REAL way forward is with a union and that no matter where you work, you and your coworkers should have a say in how your store is run. We all deserve better. We all deserve a union. But a growing union campaign that has so far organized nine stores and counting is testing the progressive reputation that REI built through its environmental and conservation advocacy over the years. Workers who are trying to improve their jobs through a union contract say the cooperative is failing to live up to its values and damaging its reputation in the process. Read the Full Article Here. The location would be the 2nd REI store in the Bay Area and the 10th REI store nationwide to unionize for fair pay, sustainable schedule practices, and better working conditions.

In an official statement on Friday, REI said organizers could have their increased pay if they agreed to not strike.

The protest represents the latest escalation in an on-going legal fight between REI and employees at the SoHo location, which became the first REI store to unionize in March Since then, at least seven other REI locations voted to form unions. In an official statement on Friday, REI said organizers could have their increased pay if they agreed to not strike. Instead, unionized workers have taken to the streets, demanding that REI reinstate their wages and return to the bargaining table. The newly unionized employees would not go on strike in exchange for receiving the same pay increase as the rest of the company. On June 1, the same day the temporary agreement ended, REI hired new legal counsel Morgan Lewis — the same firm that fought against unions for Amazon. The union filed charges of unfair labor practices against REI and created an online petition with 5, people supporting their demand for restored pay.

July 6, AM. A pedestrian walks by REI's flagship store in New York, where last year workers formed the company's first union. A shopping mecca for outdoor enthusiasts, the retailer had cultivated a progressive reputation: promoting sustainability, famously closing on Black Friday to encourage people to play outside, giving workers a paid four-week sabbatical after 15 years and running as a co-op co-owned by its shoppers. Now, she and hundreds of other REI workers find themselves at odds with their employer over their efforts to unionize. Since the SoHo store's vote, seven more stores across the U. Pro-union workers have formally accused the company of breaking labor laws — threatening and intimidating workers, disciplining and firing organizers — which REI denies. More than a year into it, workers and the company are nowhere close to a collective bargaining contract. REI leaders argue that negotiating with a union would hinder the company's ability to "resolve concerns at the speed the world is moving," as CEO Eric Artz said on a corporate podcast recorded last year before the first union victory.

Rei soho strike

The union involved in the election, the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, said in a statement following the ballot count that workers voted 88 to 14 in favor of joining. The National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency that referees union elections in the private sector, still needs to certify the results to make them official. REI is a member-owned cooperative and has particular appeal among the younger, left-leaning outdoors set.

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The labor movement has gained quite a bit of momentum in the last several years, particularly among younger people. The play is being directed by Colm Summers, the artistic director of Working Theater, which focuses on theater by and about working people. REI had been deemed an essential store due to its bike shop, which was crucial for delivery service, and therefore stayed open indefinitely throughout the majority of quarantine and onward. The SoHo workers walked out, prompting REI to offer a side-letter agreement, granting them the raise for six months in exchange for a no-strike pledge. Building Strong Organizing Committees. W e voted to unionize at our stores to help buil d a better REI for everyon e! The store has been bargaining since June , yet workers say that company misconduct has not let up. But a growing union campaign that has so far organized nine stores and counting is testing the progressive reputation that REI built through its environmental and conservation advocacy over the years. The newly unionized employees would not go on strike in exchange for receiving the same pay increase as the rest of the company. Then, it hired infamous union-busting law firm Morgan Lewis and asked them to extend the agreement for another six months. Facebook Twitter Instagram Feed. Artistic director Summers told me that when Neill brought the play to the company, it scrambled to shift resources to support it. REI Berkeley Unionizes. In fact, the story of progressive companies turning on their workers when they try to organize has become commonplace.

REI said the following:.

Other accusations against REI, which include threatening workers and disciplining or firing organizers, have been denied by company leaders. Building Strong Organizing Committees. On the afternoon of February 24, in the basement of the Hudson Park Library in lower Manhattan, a crowd of workers gathered to see a play. Laura Neill, the playwright, greeted attendees, and friends excitedly exchanged hellos as they waited for the performance to begin. Have real job security and protection from unjust termination. Actors , nurses , baristas , delivery drivers , and teachers have also unionized in recent years for better pay and fair treatment. They decided not to sign, so the company rescinded the pay raise on June 1, Shortly after the SoHo location unionized, REI had announced a nationwide raise for every store except SoHo: a strategy to deny benefits to unionized stores in hopes of dissuading further organizing Starbucks did the same thing. This means WE are the union. As unions have bled members and power, those strong ties — and the whole culture they were connected to — have largely disappeared. Be required to have union representation in your conversations with management. Foot Wears House takes place in the footwear department of a popular outdoor goods store in SoHo that has recently unionized.