Amid national declining sales, REI in Castleton faces union drive from fed-up employees
More than 50 part-time and full-time REI employees at the Castleton store are seeking to unionize with the United Food and Commercial Workers, as the company faces national declining sales.Their effort reflects a rise in retail workers, working for companies from Starbucks to Apple to Trader Joe's, seeking to unionize across the country in the face of strong opposition from management.
Walt Hoel, who's worked at REI in Castleton about seven years, said the company has scaled back safety training and reduced the number of working hours for full and part-time employees, fueling the unionization effort.
"We sell goods for dangerous activities: rock climbing, kayaking, mountain biking. People can get seriously hurt," Hoel said. "We have to be in a position to provide advice that is sound, reasonable and safe and keep people out of trouble."
REI did not respond to requests for comment.
Customers who flocked to the outdoor retailer for COVID-19 safe activities during the pandemic contributed to record sales in 2022. But interest has trailed off more recently. REI announced last month that it would lay off 357 employees.
The outdoor retailer has long fostered its progressive brand, marketing to socially-conscious outdoor lovers with enough disposable income to buy expensive outdoor gear, including light-weight tents, climbing equipment and mountain bikes.
A recent string of unionizing at its stores — including some in Chicago, New York City, Cleveland and Durham — has tested the brand as its workers, including those in Castleton, accused the company of trying to derail union efforts.
The union vote will take place in the store Feb 9.
If successful, the employees will be the latest chain retail workers to join an Indiana union space that's dominated by manufacturing, transportation and government workers. Starbucks, Half Price Books and the smoke shop, 20 Past 4 & More, have unionized in the region in the past two years.
A 2023 Bloomberg Law analysis found that Service Employees International Union and United Food and Commercial Workers had the greatest increase in elections of any union between 2021 and 2022.
"You're seeing unions across the country be more aggressive," said Phil Powell, the executive director of the Indiana Business Research Center at Indiana University. "That is driven by the fact that inequality has been increasing."
Younger workers who have a harder time buying houses and cars are more pro-union than their parents, he said. Still, the rebound in unions, while notable, is not dramatic.
Since the 1980s, Indiana has seen a steady decline in union members, largely due to production and factory jobs closing down or moving out of the state. In 1989, more than 1 in 5 employees were represented by a union. By 2022, that figure dwindled to fewer than 1 in 10.
In 2023, that figure increased slightly.
The state's economy is drastically different than the high-unionized workforce of the 1980s, making a complete rebound unlikely. There are far fewer production jobs and Millennials and Gen Z workers are far more likely to jump around jobs than their parents or work gig jobs like Uber and Rover.
At REI, employees are also looking for more stability in scheduling, which would allow them to take second jobs and have better work life balance, said George Reed, an employee who's worked in the store for about four years.
Hoel is hoping employees can schedule more time off on weekends to spend with friends and family.
"It's one of the great ironies working at REI," said Hoel, who sells camping equipment. "It's hard to take your family camping when you work at REI."
Binghui Huang can be reached at 317-385-1595 or Bhuang@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: REI in Castleton faces union drive from fed-up employees
