Unionized staff at Recreational Equipment Inc. are accusing the corporate of drawing out contract negotiations and utilizing their liberal picture to cover union-busting techniques.

The first REI location to unionize was in New York City final yr, and the corporate responded by providing staff a short lived deal: Give up your proper to strike and everybody will get pay raises. The staff took the deal and continued to barter a everlasting contract with their employer.

The non permanent contract expired in June and, regardless of pleas from REI to resume the non permanent deal, the union refused and took again their proper to strike. In response, the corporate docked pay throughout the board.

The pay cuts have harm Manhattan workers considerably and diminished belief among the many ranks who see the corporate’s progressive picture as a lie.

Since the shop, in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood, formally acknowledged its union in March 2022, seven extra shops have formally unionized, with extra on the way in which.

The rush to unionize possible took the outside provide firm abruptly. The firm has lengthy loved a picture of being a worker-friendly firm, specializing in wholesome work habits and shutting the gap between employer and worker.

However, after the profitable union drive at SoHo, tensions rose shortly. Much like different corporations which have handled employee group drives, similar to Starbucks and Amazon, REI has been brazenly in opposition to staff organizing.

“We do not feel a union is necessary for our employees, who enjoy industry-leading wages and benefits, along with multiple outlets through which to provide input to co-op leadership,” REI mentioned in an announcement.

Meanwhile, REI provided a companywide increase for workers instantly after the SoHo location unionized. The provide was for everybody besides on the SoHo retailer. The firm mentioned that as a result of it unionized, it needed to negotiate all raises as a part of a contract. The agency then provided a short lived contract to the employees.

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