Call for REI boycott May 15-26, 2026

News to me!

It annoys me when a gear reviewer makes claims about a product they are reviewing without substantiating them with evidence.

Same with this situation, it seems.

There are serious issues here that deserve scrutiny: REI’s labor negotiations, union concerns, employee benefits, board governance, supply-chain accountability, and the credibility of the co-op model itself. Those are fair topics for public criticism. But the union’s criticism gets harder to evaluate when its advocacy language outruns the evidence.

Some claims (as per the official union press page, press release, social posts about the boycott) appear well supported: REI did declare impasse. Benefit and compensation changes have been reported. Union workers did call for a boycott. REI’s board-election process has raised legitimate questions. Reports about worker concerns and supply-chain labor issues deserve attention.

But other claims are presented in ways that casual readers, social media scrollers, or uninformed co-op members may interpret as established facts when they appear to be allegations, interpretations, or rhetoric. “She lied” is a claim about intent. “It wasn’t about money” is a claim about motive. “Illegally implementing” is a legal conclusion unless and until it is adjudicated. “Hundreds of thousands” appears inflated unless the union can substantiate that number. Claims about AI being the “fastest growing source” of greenhouse gas emissions, lawyers being paid “over a thousand dollars an hour,” or benefit changes leaving “hundreds” uninsured – these are classic signatures of hyperbolic rhetoric.

A lot of this reads like aggressive rhetoric designed to build public support. Maybe that is how advocacy campaigns operate now. Maybe the union believes it has to communicate this way to get attention. But I do not think it helps Co-Op members evaluate what is actually happening.

As a co-op member, it does appear to me that REI has made decisions that are inconsistent with, or at least confusing in light of, its co-op identity. That confusion is made worse by insufficient transparency. Workers and members have legitimate reasons to question those decisions. Some of REI’s actions are being challenged as unlawful or anti-union, and those claims are difficult for members to evaluate when REI does not clearly explain its position, its rationale, or its intent.

But exaggeration, aggressive rhetoric, and unverifiable accusations are not helpful. They create more noise in an already noisy information environment.

If we expect gear reviewers to support performance claims with field data, test methods, and clear disclosure, should we not expect advocacy campaigns to support institutional claims with the same level of care? Otherwise, we are not evaluating facts. We are just choosing which narrative feels better.

I wish REI were more transparent about what is happening inside the co-op, what its specific positions are regarding unionization and contract negotiations, and why it is taking those positions.

And I wish the REI union would rely more heavily on evidence that specifically addresses the actual negotiations, contract issues, legal claims, and worker impacts, rather than rhetoric and hyperbole that most members cannot fairly evaluate.

Ryan, I couldn’t agree more…Well said!

Personally, I have such mixed feelings about REI, I could barely care less about some ongoing union dispute… I don’t feel like the “Membership” status carries much weight, when the 30-dollar lifetime membership fee is compensated with a 30-dollar coupon, and no other reason to engage…

We have an REI, and a private-owned gear shop locally. The only “Pros” going for REI are the “re-supply” area, and the slightly later hours. Otherwise, I choose the local shop 10/10 times. I think my purchases reflect that too…

Will I boycott them? Nah.

Will I buy from them during their sale? Only if there’s something I can’t get elsewhere, and at this point, I kinda doubt it…

I can sympathize with the employees, but they’re really just retail sales workers and you don’t have much leverage with that kind of job title. Calling for a boycott seems almost vindictive or as if they’re trying to cut off their nose to spite their face. The job market is all about supply and demand and if you’re doing something that requires no special skills or education then don’t be surprised if you are treated poorly…you’re easily replaceable. It’s the sad truth. And please don’t try to tell me that REI salespeople have this vast knowledge of backpacking and gear. A few do but most are beginner level yet come off like experts. There are some exceptions though.

Yeah, this is an odd one.  REI is a co-op, meaning the shareholders are anyone who takes out a membership…And also meaning that the financial rewards of membership go to the shareholdees/customers- in the form of lower prices and dividens.

I completely understand the point of view of the emplyees–that they want a larger piece of the pie, and they feel the that have earned that. But as a shareholder (my wife has been a member for decades) it is hard for me to form an opinion without looking at the books.

If the union demands require that we receive a smaller dividend each year, I’m fine with that. And if the demands are such that the membership would lose money, raise prices, or in fact go out of business, I have a hard time seeing how that would make anything better for anyone.

As usual in these cases, it’s all about the money, and nobody wants to disclose how much money is involved for anyone.

Sigh.

I don’t like unions. I think they’re self serving, but until there’s something better, I’ll stand behind the employees. They may not be well trained. They spend their days serving the interests of others. They spend their nights preparing for the next day of work. They serve us so we can play. I’ll complain about the prices and everything else. They should be fairly compensated.

Great points Ryan. With most articles/media being so heavily slanted to someones agenda, taking any one piece at face value is dangerous.

My friend has worked at REI for years and at the stores he has been at has seen nothing sub-standard treatment of himself and his co-workers-too many issues to list here. I am not sure a union will improve the conditions or not.

As a customer of more than 30 years, I can say the knowledgeable experienced staff that once was in each department is completely gone. The current staff in many of the stores I have been in have no knowledge of the products sold with many unable to answer the most basic of questions. I only buy from them when their pricing is below market.

Backpacking is how I unplug. Not just from screens—from all of it. The noise, the politics, the real-world stuff that follows you everywhere.

I get that the REI union situation matters to a lot of people. But for me, this forum is kind of a refuge. And I suspect I’m not alone in that.

Would love it if we could keep this space focused on the trails. Just a thought.

So many broad strokes being painted. I work part time at REI but my store has not voted to join the collective bargaining.

Some of the folks I work with are experts, others are random retail workers. It’s fun to new folks learn and gain experience with outdoor adventures themselves.  I am happy for any interest they have with the outdoor skills and gear I am (we are) passionate about.

If you don’t think you are getting expert service while at a store just ask for someone who has first hand experience. If you are sure there’s no one that can help you – then whatever – maybe that’s not an REI issue.

from my perspective I find the compensation and benefits decent and better than lots of other part time work.  The subset of full time non-manager employees may want this or that, but it’s a small number in my store.  I frankly don’t know what they are asking for, and it’s not worth debating here anyway.

“Would love it if we could keep this space focused on the trails.” – Why are you reading this then?! It seems clear that some of us do want to consider other issues in the outdoor space. Skip if you don’t like a thread. I do it all the time, like all those super analytic threads about stove output or the endless boot-or-shoe debate (which I did read for a while until I went shoe forever).

I am all for unions; they gave us 5 day work weeks, 8 hour days, overtime pay, and more. Workers’ compensation for having your limb severed in a factory machine? Oh yeah, good stuff. Imagine working 12 hour days 6 days a week, and still owing the company store. But unions are like democracies; you have to participate or the worst people get into power and make bad decisions that are not in the interest of workers, personal experience with that in a previous job. My kid also worked at REI for a while and loved it, but upper management was definitely less than friendly toward workers. I don’t know all the details. He’d have happily joined a union. They’re not a panacea.

I remember REI from the 80s, when I joined, and our store (Minneapolis) had a repair shop, so nice for broke, underemployed folks like me. And used gear. I bought my first new tent from them and it was honestly pretty decent (half dome 2p, weighed 6 pounds!), plus the very act of having my very own tent was pretty empowering. I miss the earlier days of REI before it became yet another mall store. I used to love to go there. I can live the rest of my life without ever going into a mall again, happily.

But I won’t boycott and also won’t buy this weekend. Once again, I’m a broke backpacker! What I already have will do nicely.

Shop small business and this becomes a moot point.

REI lost $54 million this year, which was an improvement over the $102 million previous year’s loss.

How does that figure into REI’s union negotiations? How is REI supposed to be unionized when they’re hemorrhaging money? The online competition is brutal for all brick and mortar retailers.

Union’s make sense for many types of labor… I’m just not sure it does in this case. But I genuinely don’t know as I’m no expert.

I became an REI member in 1975 ($5.00) because there were no local gear shops, and they were about the best way to mail order in those days. I always prefer (preferred) to use local retailers, but the problem is the internet has killed off all of them, so really only our local REI is left. I should boycott it?

I don’t think so…

OK, but still no answer from anyone – how does a 53 Million Dollar Shortfall enter into the unionizing equation?

Operating losses are tracking in the right direction from ’24 to ’25, but the $53m (I think it may be $51m based on the final set of financials they released) is optimistic from an operating perspective – that # is “helped” by a $25.9M gain from the distribution-center sale-leaseback. Back that out, and the operating loss is closer to $77M. Still a meaningful improvement over last year, but certainly not “hey we have some cash to invest into our workforce” kind of cash.

(Also notable: REI disclosed a $45.2M litigation benefit expected in Q1 2026. That could make FY2026 look materially better on a reported basis, even if the core retail business has not improved by the same amount. )

Can REI stabilize revenue while supporting a high-service, high-labor co-op model at the gross margin this business can realistically sustain? TBD but until that happens, there’s probably not going to be any groundbreaking union contracts being awarded. It’s just math.

Ryan, you make some excellent points. (I wish there were a “like” button here on BPL.)

I’d be curious to know how their ridiculous return policy affected their bottom line. The “Re-Supply” section is shameful sometimes. I have little love for big-box stores, but at a personal level, I would feel pretty unethical for returning items for a full-price refund; Like the many pairs of worn-out shoes after 11 months, claiming they were “uncomfortable”, or the inflatable sleeping pad covered in dirt, and still stinky from B.O… Or the $650 Nemo tent with leaves still inside & the rainfly still wet inside the stuff-sack, because “they didn’t like backpacking…” I could keep going, trust me…

Surely that has some negative effect on their bottom line…

The return policy and dividend/rewards seem to be sacrosanct. REI is not perfect – you can see the typical complaints here on BPL, but it is one of two or  the sole outfitter in many locations.  I’m more worried about the overall business than I am by the threat of unionizing.

The return policy is the primary reason I shop at REI, that and free shipping. Otherwise I’d shop at my local sporting goods store (which I do sometimes anyway, knowing they will not take returns.) They are a little more rigorous about it now. I just returned another day pack, and they thoroughly searched all the pockets and inspected it before issuing the refund. There are occasionally things truly wrong with a product, and every store should take those returned, but they don’t. REI does. But I would never return something heavily used unless there is some kind of manufacturing defect.

Here is a thought experiment for you to consider: assume that the unionization is successful at REI and average hourly wages are increased by say 15%.  Given the losses in profitability, REI will have to cut the number of employee hours by a corresponding amount.  Total Payroll dollars will remain the same.  That will mean fewer employees on the floor to help a customer if they have a question.

If you look at other big box retailers, you can end up with just cashiers (or self check-out) and stockers.  Merchandising becomes oriented around the customer helping themselves and any questions are left to signage and online inquires.  There is then little value added by being in a brick and mortar store.

Or, they increase prices to cover the increase in labor costs.  Are we willing to pay more to have an interaction with a knowledgeable person in the flesh?  (Think Luxury retail, or Patagonia, Arcteryx stores). The few surviving small backpacking stores seem to have the added advantage of a captive market due to their location near the mountains.

The hollowing out of the middle class in America has created a barbell shaped brick and mortar retail atmosphere.  Spending by the top 1% keeps the economy going and where do they shop? Luxury.  Everyone else shops at Amazon, Costco and Walmart.  The middle ground of the old Department Store is gone.  Will REI weather this transition of online everything stores?  Who else has?

(Mea Culpa: I had a long outdoor retail career starting at the original Kelty store and including time at REI and others places; as a part time salesperson thru being a Store Manager.  REI was full of employees who were idealistic and over qualified for their jobs. But they wanted to be part of the outdoors community.  We made it a fun place to work very hard.  I hope people continue to have the opportunities that I enjoyed to work in this retail business.)

@JAshley73 blatant abuse of returning worn out filthy equipment for full refund excluded, I have found their return policy in the last few years all over the place-from denying a return due to wear and tear when it’s clearly not-seam came apart on new item-to having multiple people examine a new pair of shoes-never worn, in box, tissue, etc. like I was attempting to commit fraud-to no questions asked, pleasant experience.  I agree with denying any abuse in the returns as everyone losses with that, but either the training is inconsistent or something else is going on. I have heard the same return complaints from others as well.

As an activity that requires both the affording of leisure time and of outdoor gear, it’s no surprise that backpacking has become somehow affected by our current economic woes.

I don’t have the wherewithal to litigate the details, but I am sympathetic to the union, and to all unions, for being a force against the impoverishment of a world where it’s possible to take a summer off for a thru-hike, where parents can afford the summer camp that plants the seed of a passion for the outdoors in a kid, where a knowledgeable person can make enough at REI to stay and enrich the local outdoors scene…

I’m an REI member who’s sitting out the sale. It’s made easier to justify by having to budget for other inflated expenses in my life right now. I will also continue to shop there in the future.

But the politics of our economy are very charged right now, with no sign of slowing down, and this won’t be the last time it rears its head in our space.

The degree to which we discuss these things on BPL is up for debate, I suppose.

Give it a few more years and you all will be lucky if REI is still in business – or a shadow of itself. Gen Z spends their (little) money far differently than Boomers and Gen X did/do. The union part….oh yay, you belong to a union…of a failing business. You can’t bleed a dead rock in the end.

My local REI does very well. If they end up bankrupt, it will be due to poor management. Not everybody deserves to run a business. We always looking at the employees. Greedy lot wanting to eat and all. The problem with unions is there isn’t enough of them. Wages and rights aren’t evenly protected. While business and government collaborate, legally and illegally, the worker only has the unions to back them up or to change unjust laws. If the unions go away, so will your rights and privileges. The unions aren’t perfect and not without their own corruption, but until there’s something better, I’ll back them.