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To: REI's CEO and the Board of Directors

REI Employees Need a Living Wage

Letter to REI Management
Dear REI President Jerry Stritzke, and fellow REI Board Members,

Support Your Workers’ Demands!

We, the undersigned REI employees, co-op members, and supporters from the community, stand with REI workers in demanding needed improvements to working conditions at REI.
We urge REI to agree to the following demands put forward by workers:

1. Access to Full-Time Hours: Existing workers must be offered available hours before new part-time workers are hired.

2. Cost of Living Adjustment Raises: All workers should get their cost of living in addition to the minimum wage increases.

3. An end to "At-Will" Hiring: REI employees don't want to be fired without reason and without warning.

Why is this important?

"REI employees live in fear every week wondering if they will get 30 hours or 3 hours...It is impossible to live a stable life." Edward Peters, Sales Specialist, Greensboro, NC.

"I am half a paycheck away from being homeless." -William Bass, Sales Specialist, Seattle.

"We as employees need a voice." -Tia Kennedy, Admin Assistant, Seattle.

"This treatment has gone on far too long, and must stop." Daniel Robinson, Outdoor Instructor, Portland, OR.

At Seattle City Hall on July 11th, just under a dozen REI workers publically shared their stories of hardship while working for REI. These employees from across the country, reported erratic schedules, low pay, hunger, poverty, and homelessness. These conditions have been pervasive, despite REI having a well known reputation as an excellent company to work for.

REI bosses have promised to improve conditions, but urged workers to keep quiet and only talk individually to their immediate supervisors. Why does REI want to keep improvements quiet? Workers want assurance that REI will make the changes that they so desperately need.
By signing this petition, you are telling the CEO and Board that you want them to make the improvements that REI workers want, and that they need.

With your help, we can make REI live up to its claims of being: a model leader in the retail industry, a democratic Cooperative not a greedy corporation, an employer that seeks "to maintain an excellent workplace for staff" with a "commitment to responsible corporate citizenship."

Partner

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Updates

2017-02-28 21:13:19 -0500

50 signatures reached

2016-07-19 03:22:15 -0400

25 signatures reached

2016-07-15 16:15:47 -0400

10 signatures reached

2016-07-15 13:14:49 -0400

Please note if you are an REI Employee, or REI Member. Thank you for your support!