New York, NY. A new report from the National Employment Law Project—REI Workers Speak Out: Racial Discrimination, Inequity, and the Fight for a Fair Workplace—exposes deep racial inequities at REI, including widespread discrimination, inequitable scheduling, and limited mobility, that directly undermine REI’s public posturing and stated commitment to “becoming a fully inclusive, anti-racist, and multicultural organization.”
REI is an incorporated consumer co-op, owned by active members and governed by a board of member-elected directors. The report, based on research conducted in cooperation with the REI Union, presents NELP’s independent analysis of a survey of 219 workers across 10 REI stores, along with interviews with current and former employees. By forming a union, workers have created a powerful platform to hold REI accountable and to help shape a future that aligns with the cooperative values and racial equity commitments the Co-op claims to uphold.
“I started working at REI because I loved how they valued staff for being knowledgeable and helpful,” said Tini Alexander, a worker at REI’s store in Bellingham, WA. “I wanted to be part of something that brings more people who look like me into outdoor culture, because I believe the outdoors are for everyone. The reality has become something different: REI is more focused on profit and doesn’t value or invest in its workers the same way anymore.”
“Our store has hired few Black employees, and often they were relegated to stocking and warehouse work even when their white coworkers in the same cohort were trained to work in customer-facing departments on the sales floor,” said Megan Shan, a worker at REI’s Durham, NC store. “Management tends to treat employees of color worse, in a way that eventually drives these employees to leave, by cutting hours, not accommodating medical or religious needs, and disciplining unfairly and harshly.”
Key Findings
- Racial Disparities in Hiring & Retention: REI’s workforce is significantly less diverse than the national retail workforce, with Black and Latinx workers underrepresented.
- Rampant Workplace Discrimination: Nearly half (47%) of surveyed REI workers report witnessing or experiencing racial discrimination on the job. Survey respondents described patterns in which workers of color are disproportionately disciplined, dismissed, or pushed out as a result of discriminatory practices.
- Inequitable Scheduling: A majority (64%) of surveyed workers of color report working 20 hours or less per week, compared to 38% of white workers, making it harder for workers of color to earn an adequate income.
- Barriers to Advancement: More than half (52%) of workers of color surveyed say they would like to move to a different department, but most say they are unable to do so due to lack of training, compared to 31% of white workers.
- Declining Commitment to Equity: While REI has publicly pledged to become an inclusive and anti-racist workplace, its internal Racial Equity Diversity and Inclusion (REDI) efforts have been dramatically scaled back, and workers report little meaningful progress in addressing underlying inequities.
- Broader Workplace Issues: Beyond racial inequity, workers also report age and gender bias, discrimination against transgender employees, lack of accommodations for workers with disabilities, lagging wages, and serious health and safety concerns.
- Worker Dissatisfaction: A majority (64%) of surveyed workers believe REI is becoming a worse place to work, while fewer than 4% think it is improving.
A Call for Accountability
REI has built its brand around progressive values and social responsibility, attracting customers and Co-op members who expect a commitment to equity and worker well-being. Yet workers’ firsthand experiences reveal a troubling gap between REI’s stated values and its workplace reality.
“Workers believed in REI’s mission and showed up every day to help deliver on that promise. But instead of being valued, many have faced discrimination, instability, and missed opportunities,” said Hannah Chimowitz, senior researcher and policy analyst at NELP and co-author of the report. “These findings make it clear: REI Co-op leadership must do more than market a commitment to equity—it must work with its employees to make it real and put an end to discriminatory practices.”
“REI Co-op leadership has the opportunity to correct course,” said Amy Traub, NELP senior researcher and policy analyst and report co-author. “Listening to workers and bargaining in good faith with their union is a crucial first step toward fulfilling its commitments to racial and economic justice and to have a workplace free from discrimination.”
Solutions for Change
Workers at REI are already leading the way by organizing to demand fair treatment, equitable scheduling, and accountability. The report findings should move REI leadership to work with employees to ensure cooperative values are reflected in everyday workplace practices.
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