Workers at REI Co-Op’s flagship store in Manhattan voted overwhelmingly to unionize on Wednesday, becoming the first of the outdoor and camping retail chain’s 170 in the country to unionize.
On Wednesday, 86 percent of the store’s workers voted to unionize with the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union, despite a company-led campaign to derail the union that included mandatory meetings and huddles, a pause on promotional opportunities, and a 25-minute union busting podcast featuring REI CEO Eric Artz. The final tally was 88 votes in favor of unionizing and 14 votes against.
“A union is necessary for many of us to achieve more stability and security in our lives which could allow for us to explore and play more outside of work,” said Claire Chang, a retail sales specialist at REI SoHo, in a statement.
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