REI Faces Worker Strife, Pay Raises Coming

WASHINGTON, DC — Employees at REI stores in Maryland and Virginia will receive a pay increase in August — a perk that will also apply to workers hired for the coming flagship store in Northeast Washington, D.C. — in a concession to employees who live in high-cost-of-living metro areas.

The pay raises of 5 to 15 percent will take effect Aug. 21 for REI workers at expensive locales nationwide. In total, about 25 percent of the outdoor retailer’s employees with receive pay raises.

Included in the wage hikes are workers who will be hired for the planned D.C. flagship location, a 50,000-square-foot store scheduled to open in October. And employees at the College Park, Rockville, Baileys Crossroads, Fairfax, Tysons and Woodbridge stores in the region should also receive the pay raises, reports Washington Business Journal.

REI leaders have been working on the pay increase since 2015, a company spokesman says.

"It is a huge investment, but it’s obviously one that we believe in," spokesman Rob Discher told Patch.

An online petition started by part-time REI workers demands that the co-op “eliminate the widespread hardship that exists for its retail workers.” The petition wants the company to offer guaranteed stable hours, more full-time jobs, a sustainable living wage and three-week advance notice of schedules.

So far, just more than 2,000 signatures are on the petition; how many of those are REI employees is unknown.

"We also didn’t do this in response to the online petition," Discher said.

Two weeks after the workers aired their complaints about too many part-time jobs and too few hours worked to qualify for insurance benefits, REI announced its plan to boost pay in pricey locales. Besides D.C., the metro areas where wages will increase are Seattle; Portland, Oregon; San Francisco; Boston; Chicago and Denver, according to the Seattle Times.

Employees at the Seattle flagship store have also asked REI to recognize a possible union, which the company has said there is no need for.

Describing D.C. as a "fast growing outdoor community," REI said in a statement that the new store will bring in 150 jobs to the area.

"We’re spending time with the local outdoor community to discuss how to make the flagship an ideal community space," the statement notes, "including the store design, educational outdoor classes and partnerships with local non-profits, which are the foundation of all REI stores because they help REI members gain access to great places to play. This flagship will be an immersive experience – much more than a retail store.

"The D.C. flagship will build on the region's already robust schedule of free and low-cost in-store classes, field programs and day outings," the statement continues. "Examples of programs at popular local destinations are D.C. Monuments Sunset Kayak Tour, Overnight Backpacking in Shenandoah National Park and Introduction to Outdoor Rock Climbing at Carderock."

REI has about 150 stores in roughly two-thirds of U.S. states. The company was founded in 1938 and is based in Washington state.

»Image of Washington, D.C., planned flagship store via REI