Through REI Union‘s organizing efforts, workers at the REI San Diego store have taken a major step toward building a stronger voice on the job, officially filing for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board to join UFCW Local 135.
If successful, the Kearny Mesa location would become the third union REI store in California and the 12th nationwide, while also being the largest organized REI store in the country. The store, located on Copley Drive, is one of the co-op’s top-performing locations, underscoring the critical role these workers play in REI’s success.
The filing comes as part of a growing, worker-led movement across the country, where REI employees are organizing for fair pay, sustainable scheduling, and better working conditions, while pushing back against the company’s ongoing anti-union efforts.
San Diego workers say they were inspired by their unionized coworkers nationwide, who have continued to stand strong despite aggressive union-busting tactics. Since 2022, 11 REI stores across the country have voted to unionize, building momentum for change inside the co-op.
Juan Pablo Contreras, a REI worker at the San Diego store, said:
“We started working for the co-op because we believe in its mission. Like many of my co-workers, I am passionate about the outdoors and sharing it with everyone. With our union, we hope to hold REI accountable to that mission. We’re excited to join a national movement of REI workers standing up to save the heart of the co-op that is losing its way. Together, our voices cannot be silenced.”
Phen Green, a REI worker at the San Diego store, said:
“Watching unionized green vests throughout the country mobilize for the working conditions they deserve, despite the company’s ruthless union-busting tactics, has made us, in San Diego, all the more determined to organize. We know there is strength in numbers. We are excited to join and expand this movement. REI’s reputation as a leader in the outdoor industry is thanks to the hard work and experience of its green vests. We’re organizing to secure the pay, benefits, and stability that will enable us to provide our customers and members with the service and expertise they’ve come to expect from REI.”
UFCW Local 135 President Todd Walters emphasized the broader impact of this effort:
“Workers in San Diego are standing up and making it clear, they want a real voice on the job and a seat at the table. This is exactly what building union power looks like. When workers organize, they raise standards not just for themselves, but for workers across the entire industry. Victories like this are critical to growing the labor movement here in San Diego and ensuring working people can build better lives for themselves and their families.”
This organizing effort highlights the importance of continuing to grow union density in San Diego. As more workers come together to form unions, they strengthen their ability to win better wages, benefits, and working conditions, not just at one workplace, but across entire industries.
Across the country, REI workers are organizing to hold the company accountable and push for a stronger future. Here in San Diego, that movement is gaining ground and helping build lasting union power for working people.