San Diego REI Workers Form Retailer's Largest Union Amid High Living Costs
San Diego, Saturday, 30 May 2026.
Driven by severe living costs that left colleagues sleeping in cars, 119 San Diego REI workers voted this week to form the outdoor cooperative’s largest labor union.
Economic Pressures Drive Labor Action
The unionization of the Kearny Mesa location in San Diego, organized under the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 135, officially brings 119 employees into the labor movement [1][2]. This specific bargaining unit now represents 0.915 percent of Recreational Equipment, Inc.’s (REI) total national workforce of approximately 13,000 people [1]. According to UFCW data, the Kearny Mesa store is a financial heavyweight for the Seattle-based retailer, generating the third-largest revenue across the entire consumer cooperative [1]. The economic realities of living in Southern California catalyzed the organizing efforts; Juanpablo Contreras, a 12-year sales specialist at the location, noted that the high cost of living had forced some colleagues to live out of their vehicles because their wages could not cover rent [1].
A National Trend Across the Cooperative
The successful vote in San Diego late this May 2026 marks the 12th REI location in the United States to unionize since the labor movement began at a Manhattan store in 2022 [1][2]. Within California, the Kearny Mesa store is the third to organize, joining locations in Berkeley and Santa Cruz, while a separate San Diego County store in Carlsbad currently remains nonunion [1]. Management at REI expressed disappointment following the San Diego election results on Friday, May 29, but formally stated their respect for the employees’ right to choose union representation [1]. The company maintains that its cooperative values, workplace flexibility, and meaningful work environment remain foundational to its operations [1].
Escalating Tensions and Bargaining Impasses
Despite successful elections at 6.154 percent of REI’s 195 nationwide stores, securing a first collective bargaining agreement has proven deeply contentious [1]. Earlier this week, REI leadership declared a “bargaining impasse” with the previously unionized 11 stores, signaling an intention to unilaterally implement the economic terms of its final contract offer [2]. The UFCW vehemently denied that negotiations had reached a legitimate impasse and filed claims to dispute the cooperative’s legal position [2]. Labor organizers argue that declaring an impasse prematurely constitutes a violation of labor laws, further straining the relationship between the corporate board and its retail workforce [2].