On Friday, June 28th, outdoor retailer REI will open its newest location in Ithaca. In some ways, this seems like a perfect match — Ithacans love the outdoors, and REI brands itself as a progressive co-op that shares our values. But REI’s labor practices across the country tell a different story.

In early 2022, workers at REI’s SoHo location voted to unionize, kicking off a national wave of organizing at REI. Nine more stores have since voted to join the REI Union, demanding fair hours and scheduling practices, safe working conditions, improved sick time and healthcare, and more. Despite REI’s reputation as a progressive employer, it has aligned itself with the likes of Amazon and Starbucks by aggressively fighting the union campaign.

Across the country, REI has responded to workers’ attempts to unionize by holding mandatory anti-union “captive audience” meetings, firing and targeting pro-union workers, denying wage increases and benefits to workers at unionized stores, and more. REI has also refused to bargain in good faith with its workers at any of its ten unionized locations, keeping workers from negotiating a fair contract. In response, the REI Union has filed 47 Unfair Labor Practice charges against the company, all of which remain open.

Ithaca is a union town, and we are proud to stand with workers everywhere who seek to unionize and collectively bargain with their employers. When workers at Starbucks made Ithaca the first fully-unionized city in the history of their national union campaign, we stood with the workers and fought back against Starbucks’ aggressive union-busting. Should any employer use similar anti-union tactics in Ithaca, we remain prepared to do the same.

As members of the Ithaca community, we are excited to welcome REI to our city — but demand that REI’s labor practices in Ithaca conform to our values. We call upon the management at REI Ithaca and all other relevant stakeholders at REI to sign the Fair Election Principles, agreeing not to engage in unfair or illegal practices that prevent workers from freely deciding whether to organize. If REI wants to do business in Ithaca, it must respect our community’s values and its workers’ right to organize. No union-busting in Ithaca!