Tell REI: Bring Back Co-op Values and Bring Back Our Coworkers!
Recreational Equipment, Inc.
On October 12th, REI laid off 275 of our most experienced and dedicated coworkers as part of their “restructuring” plan. Our fellow leads poured their hearts and souls into our Co-op before they were let go, serving as knowledgeable resources for customers looking to prepare for their next outdoor adventure.
These callous layoffs are a betrayal of REI’s stated values: “inspiring, educating, and outfitting our communities for a lifetime of outdoor adventure.” The level of knowledge and expertise required to work at REI is not expendable, and we are disheartened that our Co-op would stoop so low as to layoff 275 full time lead workers and instead hire 1,300 seasonal workers.
As green vests who love what we do, we believe that REI is moving in the wrong direction by following in the footsteps of other large retailers. Our sales leads dedicated their careers to REI and to outfitting you, the Co-op’s members. They went the extra mile to help you find the gear you need to stay safe on your next hike, bike trip, or river adventure, and the Co-op repaid them by kicking them to the curb.
REI prides itself on the benefits it provides to its full-time employees, including healthcare, sick pay, vacation time, and holiday pay. Seasonal hires won’t receive these benefits, which means the company is replacing strong, full-time jobs with weaker, expendable positions.
We risk losing sight of everything that makes our Co-op special if we let REI move forward with this restructuring, so we’re demanding that REI reinstate our beloved coworkers and leads. We refuse to stand by and let this company turn its back on the values that brought us all together as outdoor enthusiasts.
Please sign our petition and demand that REI reinstate our coworkers and stop abandoning the values that define our Co-op. By signing our petition, you are demonstrating your solidarity and support as a Co-op member for the full reinstatement of all the leads who were let go on October 12th.
Thank you for your continued solidarity and for standing by our union. If you’d like to learn more about REI’s restructuring and its effect on us, the terminated leads, and our non-union coworkers, we’ve included additional context below.
BACKGROUND:
REI’s restructuring initiative prioritizes part-time work and limits opportunities for career advancement. Some of the company’s most significant changes include:
Hiring 1,300 seasonal, part-time workers while simultaneously laying off 275 tenured green vests
Requiring 70% of staff at each store to work part-time, limiting the number of strong full-time jobs in our stores
Creating a new “part time+” position that could kick many REI workers off their healthcare plan and other benefits
Centralizing decision making, taking autonomy away from store managers and lead employees
These unilateral changes in union stores violate federal labor law and sidestep the voice of our unionized co-workers. The company is required to negotiate with its unionized stores over any proposed changes to working conditions, which they did not do.
REI has failed to uphold their obligation and work with us at the bargaining table, in an attempt to strip us of the voice we claimed by forming a union. We will not tolerate this, so we must all work together to hold the company accountable to us, our Co-op members, and their own stated values.
Sponsored by
To:
Recreational Equipment, Inc.
From:
[Your Name]
I am calling on REI to immediately reinstate the 275 dedicated sales lead laid off on October 12th. These leads poured their hearts and souls into our Co-op before they were let go, serving as knowledgeable resources for both myself and other members looking to prepare for our next outdoor adventure.
As a loyal customer, I was disappointed to hear about these layoffs as they are a betrayal of REI’s stated values: “inspiring, educating, and outfitting our communities for a lifetime of outdoor adventure.” The level of knowledge and expertise required to work at REI is not expendable, and I am disheartened to know that our Co-op would stoop so low as to layoff 275 full time lead workers and instead hire 1,300 seasonal workers.
I believe that REI is moving in the wrong direction by following in the footsteps of other large retailers. These sales leads dedicated their careers to REI and to outfitting us. They consistently went the extra mile to help me find the gear I needed to stay safe, and I firmly believe this work and expertise deserves respect.
As I Co-op member, I cannot stand by and watch this company turn its back on the values that keep me and my fellow members coming back.
I hope you will take our plea seriously and immediately reinstate all 275 leads. Thank you.