Some 70,000 REI workers and shoppers have pledged to boycott the outdoor retailer’s annual Anniversary Sale this May, calling on consumers nationwide to join them.
The call to action comes as the latest round of contract negotiations between the company and unionised employees ended without an agreement.
“REI has refused to offer us a fair contract, despite our willingness to compromise,” said Alex Pollitt, a worker at the company’s Bellingham, Washington, store. “The company has left us no choice but to boycott.”
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REI pushed back on the union’s claims, saying it has been bargaining in good faith. In a recent statement, the company said it came to negotiations prepared to reach an agreement, but the sides were unable to do so. The retailer described the planned boycott as “disappointing” and warned it could negatively affect employees, jobs and the business.
“It seems the union’s focus is on harming the financial wellbeing of the business, instead of advancing negotiations,” the statement reads. “The union’s dedication to undermining the business puts jobs, wages, benefits, and future opportunity at risk, and pulls everyone further from the progress our employees deserve. Every day spent escalating a public conflict is a day not spent at the bargaining table working to reach an agreement.”
REI’s Anniversary Sale is one of the company’s largest promotional events and will take place May 15-25.
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