REI has long enjoyed a reputation as a progressive company that promises strong benefits and promotes a culture of inclusion and sustainability. As a consumer cooperative, the outdoor retailer has also eschewed a typical corporate structure.
But in recent years, against the backdrop of a union drive, some workers have described a culture at odds with REI’s purported values. Despite successful union efforts at 11 of its 180 total stores, REI workers have not managed to successfully negotiate a contract with the company. The National Labor Relations Board is also currently looking into dozens of unfair labor practice charges brought by workers. Last week, REI members voted against the company’s slate of board candidates, following a union campaign urging them to protest that REI did not allow labor-backed candidates on the ballot.
A new report from the National Employment Law Project finds that many REI workers say they have encountered discrimination on the job. In a survey of 219 workers across 10 unionized stores, nearly half—47%—said they had witnessed or experienced some kind of racial discrimination. Among workers of color, one in five said they had personally faced discrimination at the company.
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