Elected officials presented management at the Pinecrest REI Co-op today with a letter calling on the national retailer to reach its first contract with employees.

Workers at the recreational equipment and apparel store in the upscale mixed-used development in Orange Village unionized in March 2023. They are represented by the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), which says that REI  has not been taking the necessary steps to reach a contract.

State Sen. Nickie J. Antonio, the Lakewood Democrat and senate minority leader, said that REI should make every effort to successfully bargain a contract with workers. In addition to presenting the letter, she addressed a rally outside the store today, which included fellow politicians and members of Greater Cleveland’s labor community. Antonio said the letter is addressed to Eric Artz, REI’s president and CEO.

“What the legislators are asking for is for REI to return to the table, sit and negotiate with their workers because we believe that it’s very important that they bargain in good faith,” she told Signal Cleveland prior to the event. “The employees did what they needed to do to create the bargaining unit. They need to be respected.” 

By law, “employers have a legal duty to bargain in good faith with their employees’ representative and to sign any collective bargaining agreement that has been reached,” according to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).

The union says the company has not bargained in good faith.

“For over nine months, only REI’s attorneys have been appearing at bargaining sessions, further delaying the process of getting to a contract,” states a union news release. “Company management and decision makers have continually failed to attend sessions and negotiate with workers directly.”

The company disagrees with the union’s assessment.

“REI is committed to negotiating in good faith with our stores that have chosen union representation,” reads a company statement emailed to Signal Cleveland. “The collective bargaining process—especially when negotiating a first contract—can be lengthy.

“Both parties have been engaged in numerous negotiations and have reached tentative agreements on various topics,” REI states. “We remain steadfast in our commitment to this process and to finding a mutually beneficial agreement with our stores that have chosen union representation.”

State Sen. Nickie Antonio addresses a rally at the REI Co-op in the Pinecrest developmet in Orange Village on Monday, May 20, 2024. She was among the state legislators who presented a letter to management calling for the company to reach a contract with workers. Workers at the store voted in a union more than a year ago. Antonio speaks using a bull horn.
State Sen. Nickie Antonio addresses a rally at the REI Co-op in the Pinecrest development in Orange Village on Monday, May 20, 2024. She was among the state legislators who presented a letter to management calling for the company to reach a contract with workers. Workers at the store voted in a union more than a year ago. Credit: Photo courtesy of Sen. Nickie Antonio

Ohio legislators want REI to reach contract with workers by the end of 2024

Antonio said she gave the letter, signed by Democratic state legislators, to store management. She said she also gave management a letter from U.S. Sen. Sherrod Brown, who expressed similar sentiments.

“We, the undersigned, are all strong supporters of unions and the collective bargaining process and call on you to return to the bargaining table to negotiate a fair contract by the end of 2024 that benefits all sides – REI, your workers, and your customers,” reads the letter from the state legislators.

In addition to Antonio, state Sen. Kent Smith, the Euclid Democrat and minority whip, also signed the letter.

The other politicians include state Rep. Juanita O. Brent of Cleveland, state Rep. Bride Rose Sweeney of Westlake, state Rep. Sean Brennan of Parma and state Rep. Michael J. Skindell of Lakewood. These legislators also signed: State Rep. Richard Dell’Aquila of Seven Hills, state Rep. Darnell Brewer of Cleveland, state Rep.Phillip M. Robinson, Jr. of Solon, state Rep. Terrence Upchurch of Cleveland and state Rep. Dan Troy of Willowick.

Antonio said she and her family have REI Co-op memberships, which she said is a motivation for her lobbying in favor of the workers.

“I’m hoping that a lot of folks who participate in the co-op will also reach out to the company and ask them to bargain in good faith,” she said.

The Cleveland area store is among 10 REI stores nationally that have unionized within the past few years. Employees have either voted to join RWDSU or the United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) union. The unions have filed Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) complaints against REI with the NLRB, including those alleging that the company had not engaged in good faith bargaining. 

REI workers are among retail employees nationally who have unionized in recent years. They include Starbucks workers. Last year, the Starbucks Workers United union said that the company had not been bargaining in good faith. This year in several cities, including Cleveland, union members say that the company appears to be engaging in good faith bargaining. 

The NLRB slowly has been settling charges unions representing these retail workers have brought against their employers. Recently, a Cleveland Starbucks worker fired for unionizing two years ago won reinstatement and back pay

Note: This story has been updated to reflect that the rally took place and that Antonio delivered the letter to store management. It has also been updated to include comments from REI.

Economics Reporter (she/her)
Economics is often thought of as a lofty topic, but it shouldn’t be. My goal is to offer a street-level view of economics. My focus is on how the economy affects the lives of Greater Clevelanders. My areas of coverage include jobs, housing, entrepreneurship, unions, wealth inequality and pocketbook issues such as inflation.