George Reed had something he’s rarely been able to enjoy this year: a weekend day off from work.
Reed, who’s worked at the REI store in Castleton for more than four years, said he had been off for only nine weekend days so far in 2024 — and he was sick for three of those.
But Reed still showed up at the store Saturday, alongside about a dozen other REI workers who voted in February to unionize. They rallied to demand REI return to the bargaining table as the two sides sort out a labor contract.
Workers and their supporters — including some state and local elected officials — set up under a tent in the parking lot and made signs before walking to the storefront with a banner that read “INDY LOVES REI WORKERS.”
“We’re here to stay,” Reed told Mirror Indy, “and we want that contract.”
The Indianapolis store is part of a wave of locations that voted recently to unionize, becoming the ninth to do so. There are 10 unionized stores now, but none of them have a contract yet.
The rally came during REI’s anniversary sale. Workers at other stores, including in Chicago, went on strike as they work toward a contract.
REI is being represented in negotiations by Morgan Lewis, an international firm also representing Trader Joe’s, SpaceX and Amazon as those companies face growing pressure from unions. The firm has argued the National Labor Relations Board, a federal agency that enforces U.S. labor law, is unconstitutional.
United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Local 700 is representing REI workers in Indianapolis.
What the workers want
Workers say one of their biggest priorities is getting more stability in their schedules.
Tess Beam, who’s worked at REI for just more than a year, is part time. She said she started off getting at least 35 hours a week. Then, she moved down to not getting even 20 hours a week and is back up to almost 40 now.
Beam said she has to have a second job to make ends meet.
Workers blame fluctuating hours on layoffs announced last year. The company cut about 275 jobs in October — equal to 2% of REI’s workforce — while opening about 1,300 part-time and seasonal positions.
“If they’re hiring more people, giving them hours that I could be having to be able to pay my bills and live,” Beam said, “I think that’s a little unfair.”
Workers also are hoping to win back their annual pay raise and bonus. Unionized employees in Indianapolis and other cities have said the company took them away for union stores because the benefits would be part of contract negotiations.
In a statement, an REI spokesperson said the company is not withholding merit pay because stores chose to unionize.
“Rather, federal law requires good faith collective bargaining over certain benefits and working conditions,” the statement says. “REI will always negotiate in good faith where required to engage in collective bargaining. These items will continue to be negotiated and discussed at future bargaining sessions.”
Slow negotiations
Rep. Carey Hamilton, D-Indianapolis, speaks to unionized REI workers and their supporters. Credit: Tyler Fenwick/Mirror Indy 
City-County Councilor Jesse Brown and other REI union advocates rally for a fair union contract. Credit: Lee Klafczynski for Mirror Indy 
Unionized REI workers and their supporters walk to the storefront. Credit: Tyler Fenwick/Mirror Indy
But negotiations are moving slowly, a trend workers say is consistent with other unionized stores.
UFCW Local 700 President Tracy Bartak said the Indianapolis bargaining committee has had one virtual meeting with REI, which he said was more like a formal meet-and-greet than a bargaining session.
And workers on the bargaining committee said only representatives from Morgan Lewis were present.
“From a corporate perspective, their end game is to try to delay, drag it out, get people discouraged so they kind of give up, and then it just goes away,” Bartak said. “I don’t see that happening with these folks.”
The REI spokesperson said it’s common for legal representatives to be the sole participants at the bargaining table.
“REI remains steadfast in our commitment to this process and to finding a mutually beneficial agreement with our stores that have chosen union representation,” the statement says.
Workers say they want to have a contract signed by the end of the year.
Update 11:45 a.m. May 29:
This story has been updated with comments from an REI spokesperson.
Mirror Indy reporter Tyler Fenwick covers economics. Contact him at 317-766-1406 or tyler.fenwick@mirrorindy.org. Follow him on X @ty_fenwick.
Republish our articles for free, online or in print, under a Creative Commons license.
