After decades of U.S. union decline, some industry analysts and experts are optimistic for the future, because of younger workers. Throughout the U.S., workers in their 20’s are leading ongoing efforts to unionize companies. The Alphabet Workers Union, formed last year, now represents 800 Google employees, organized by five people all under the age of 35. Workers at Starbucks are gaining momentum and most recently REI has been caught on everyone’s radar as they seek union representation as well.
Last week, workers at the REI flagship store in SoHo New York City voted to unionize, creating the first organized location among the retailer’s 170+ stores. These workers are a part of the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union, who voted 88 to 14 in favor of joining the union.
The votes still need to be certified by The National Labor Relations Board, the federal agency that referees union elections in the private sector, to make them official.
REI is a household name in areas where outdoor activities are a part of the local culture, and the company brands itself as being progressive. It is a member-owned cooperative of customers who buy lifetime memberships and that has an appeal among younger and more left-leaning demographics.
Union approval is high and growing according to multiple polls, with U.S. union membership levels trending higher for workers between 25 and 34. Between 2019 and 2021, the overall average percentage stayed relatively flat, but those works in the above age group rose from 8.8% to 9.4%, or around 68,000 workers, according to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics... |
The company claims a forward-looking vision when it comes to climate change and racial equality. However, the company opposes union efforts saying it would “impact our ability to communicate directly” with workers.
The union’s response: “the workers of REI SoHo are ready to negotiate a strong contract that will allow them to uphold the co-op’s progressive values while providing the top-notch service REI customers have come to expect,” said a statement from Stuart Appelbaum, President of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union.
The seed for unionization came about, in part because some REI workers felt that some workers who were outspoken in raising COVID safety concerns were not allowed to return when REI re-opened some temporarily closed stores in the fall of 2020.
Union approval is high and growing according to multiple polls, with U.S. union membership levels trending higher for workers between 25 and 34. Between 2019 and 2021, the overall average percentage stayed relatively flat, but those works in the above age group rose from 8.8% to 9.4%, or around 68,000 workers, according to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics.
A part of the company’s anti-union campaign came under intense criticism recently, when during a podcast addressing unionization, the two management representatives having the discussion opened with what indigenous land they were on. The point they are working to make is that they take social injustice seriously or “we care about social justice, and unions don’t.”
While there can arguably be no “good” that has come from this pandemic, it has caused this moment in time, where there has been a paradigm shift that has shed light on injustice, inequity, and the importance of adequate job protections and pay.
When one of us does better, we all do better. It is empowering to see our younger generations take a stand and want improvements and a voice in the workplace; and that voice is one they have earned and not been given by management. Because what is given, can always be taken away again when it is inconvenient.