REI Members Reject Co-op Board Picks Amid Labor Tensions and Burgum Backlash

With three candidates on the ballot for three open board seats, REI’s recent Board of Directors election should have been non-competitive. But in a surprising outcome reflecting growing discontent with the brand, co-op members have voted down all three candidates. 

The vote underscores mounting frustration over the company’s recent actions, including its endorsement and subsequent retraction of support for Trump Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, the mass layoff of more than 400 employees with the elimination of the brand’s “Experience” division in January, and ongoing allegations of anti-union practices.

REI announced the result yesterday. “This year we recommended three qualified candidates for election — two incumbents up for reelection and one new director,” wrote REI Board of Directors Chair Chris Carr. “… None of the nominees received the required number of votes to be elected to the board.”

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Vote No Campaign

The REI union launched a “Vote No” campaign in March, encouraging members to withhold their votes in protest after the board blocked two labor-backed candidates from the ballot. These were Tefere Gebre of Greenpeace and Shemona Moreno of Seattle-based environmental nonprofit Seattle 350.

Any co-op member can nominate themselves for the board. However, the board’s own nominating and governance committee ultimately decides who will be on the ballot. REI has said that Gebre and Moreno were not qualified. In contrast, critics say the move reflects a growing anti-labor trend at the outdoor retailer.

The three candidates on the ballot this year included two incumbent board members — Michael McAfee (PolicyLink CEO) and Elizabeth Huebner (former Getty Images senior vice president and CFO) — and Monica Schwartz, executive vice president and chief digital officer of BJ’s Wholesale Club.

“We are disappointed with the outcome, especially because we are losing two incumbent directors who have been valuable contributors to the co-op for a number of years and one promising new director,” Carr said in his written statement. 

Photo: Virginia State Park staff.

Looking Forward

In a letter to the co-op community yesterday, President and CEO Mary Beth Laughton signaled a possible willingness to engage with members in the future. “That’s a clear sign to me that we have a big opportunity to actively seek out and listen to what our members and employees are telling us,” she wrote of the board election result. “…The answers we seek are often found in our stores, through real conversations with employees and members. Going forward, I’m committed to elevating more of these voices throughout the co-op.”

Even as the REI Union celebrates the outcome, members are renewing calls for Gebre and Moreno to join the board. However, as of now, the future of the three empty board seats remains uncertain. “Per our bylaws, these three seats will remain vacant until filled by the board of directors,” wrote Carr.

Featured image: REI in Seattle, WA. Photo by daveynin