Press Release: Nationwide Campaign to Take Back REI Co-Op Board From Big Oil and Anti-Worker Corporate Interests
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: CONTACT: Kristin Hyde
Monday, March 3, 2025 kristin@powerhouse-strategic.com
REI Members and Staff, Environmental, Labor Groups Urge REI's 24 Million Members To Vote No in Board of Directors Election REI
REI Board Election Starts Today, March 3rd!
Seattle, WA – At a press conference today outside REI Co-op’s Flagship Seattle store, REI members, including the store’s own workers, and leading environmental and labor organizations, called on REI members nationwide to return the company to its co-op values by voting to reject the REI Board’s corporate slate in the board of directors election that opened today.
The REI Board recently shocked members by endorsing billionaire and big oil ally, Doug Burgum, to run the Department of Interior, which controls public lands including national parks and forests. Burgum has said his first order of business is to open public lands up to oil drilling, and roll back protections for endangered species.
REI members, employees and environmental leaders say REI’s Board is out of control in other ways, including:
REI is accused of union busting, including hiring the anti-union law firm Morgan Lewis, “which has worked for Amazon and Trump, and is currently echoing Elon Musk’s contentions that the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is unconstitutional.”
REI staff say REI is risking REI employee health and safety.
REI staff say REI has ignored sexual harassment issues.
REI is accused of sourcing from companies that violate labor and human rights.
REI bans staff from running for the board of directors.
Sarah Cherin, Executive Vice President and Chief of Staff at UFCW 3000: “REI should listen to its long-time employees with years of outdoors experience, instead of refusing to reach a fair contract with workers. REI retaliates against workers for voicing concerns, withholds raises, and even fires workers for union organizing. REI’s board denies its members a real vote. They just put their cherry-picked corporate candidates on our ballot to vote up or down. Now is our chance to take back our co-op by rejecting their slate of corporate executive candidates.”
Ben Smith Senior Strategic Partnerships Advisor at Greenpeace USA: “REI is out of step with its membership and environmental roots. REI’s Board lobbied to put oil billionaire Doug Burgum in charge of our National Parks and other public lands. Tefere Gebre, Current Chief Program Officer of Greenpeace, USA and former Executive Vice President of the AFL-CIO, applied to be a candidate for the REI board of directors. Tefere’s qualifications matched REI’s ideal board candidate, but the REI Board of Directors rejected his nomination. It’s clear Tefere’s pro-union stance does not mesh with the increasingly corporatized Board of this so-called ‘Co-op.’ By voting ‘withhold’ we are demanding REI’s board put pro-environment, pro-worker candidates on our ballots.”
Shemona Moreno, Executive Director of 350 Seattle: “REI’s Board of Directors is out of control, dominated by Exxon Mobil, Proctor and Gamble, and other corporate executives. REI’s board just endorsed a big oil billionaire as Interior Secretary to run our national parks and drill for oil in our public lands. This is not the REI I know and love. I urge my fellow REI members to go to REI’s website, look up your membership, and vote "withhold" to send a message to REI that you want your co-op back.
Tini Alexander, a senior shop mechanic in REI’s Bellingham store: “I hope my fellow green vests and all REI members will join me in withholding our votes from the slate of corporate candidates in this board election. We’re calling on REI to practice what it preaches around environmental protection and valuing its hard working employees.”
Megan Vandewalle, REI Union member at the Santa Cruz CA store: “We unionized at the REI Santa Cruz store because REI has changed in ways that negatively impact workers and our customers’ experience. Staffing levels are too low. We don’t get the proper amount of training. It affects our ability to do our jobs, and means customers’ experience is not what it should be. I’m a full time REI employee and I serve on the leadership team, but I make less than half what is considered a liveable wage in Santa Cruz.”
Iris Miller, an REI Union member at the Chicago store: “Wages are so low I can’t keep up with rent increases. In retaliation for unionizing, REI isn’t giving merit raises in unionized stores. Understaffing makes our jobs harder and means customers often have long waits as staff are stretched thin juggling multiple priorities. I’ve been an REI member for nearly 10 years, but what does membership even mean when you don’t have a real stay in how the company is run?”
Phoebe Rounds, a Seattle REI member, shared: “I am a devoted REI shopper. My kids and I love visiting the Seattle Flagship store, but I am really disappointed to hear that REI is refusing to address workers' concerns and reach a fair contract. Being a co-op member should mean you have a voice, but REI’s is loading its board with hand picked corporate people instead of people with a stake in our communities, workers rights and environmental sustainability.”
For more information visit TrueCo-ops.org TrueCo-ops.org is sponsored by UFCW 3000, which represents REI Bellingham employees and PCC grocery employees. UFCW 3000 is also a supporter of OurREI, the national group advocating for thousands of REI employees at stores around the U.S.
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