REI Workers, Labor Leaders, and Community Members to Rally Ahead of Union Election in San Diego
REI workers, union members, labor leaders, and community supporters will gather on Tuesday, May 26 at 1:00 p.m. outside REI’s San Diego store in Kearny Mesa to rally in support of workers as they prepare to vote in a union election to join the United Food and Commercial Workers Union (UFCW) Local 135.
The rally will take place at:
REI Kearny Mesa
5556 Copley Drive
San Diego, CA 92111
The event comes one day before workers at the store, known as Green Vests, begin voting in a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) union election on Wednesday, May 27 and Thursday, May 28. More than 100 workers are eligible to vote on whether to join UFCW Local 135.
If successful, the San Diego location would become the third unionized REI store in California and the 12th in the nation. It would also become the largest unionized REI location in the country.
The rally is being held to highlight the upcoming election and celebrate the organizing effort led by REI workers in San Diego, who are joining a growing nationwide movement of workers organizing for fair pay, sustainable scheduling, stronger workplace protections, and a meaningful voice on the job.
The event will feature remarks from REI workers, labor leaders, and an elected official, including,UFCW Local 135 President Todd Walters, head of San Diego & Imperial Counties Labor Council and San Diego City Councilmember Kent Lee, whose district includes the REI location.
Since 2022, workers at 11 REI stores nationwide have voted to unionize, including locations in California, New York, Illinois, Massachusetts, North Carolina, Washington, Minnesota, Indiana, and Ohio. Across the country, REI workers have organized to improve workplace conditions and secure a stronger voice on the job.
In San Diego, workers at the Kearny Mesa store are seeking to join that growing movement and become part of UFCW Local 135, San Diego’s largest private sector union.
The rally is expected to draw REI workers, UFCW members, union members from across San Diego, and community supporters standing in solidarity ahead of the election.
UFCW Local 135 is San Diego’s largest private sector union, representing more than 11,000 workers in grocery, retail, healthcare, food processing, and cannabis industries across San Diego County.
