The REI Co-op today revealed the results of its annual election to fill seats on its board of directors, and supporters of co-op workers’ union efforts are claiming a major victory.
Despite REI’s nominating and governance committee approving three candidates put forth by co-op leadership (two incumbents and one new director) and leaving two union-backed candidates off the ballot, none of REI’s nominees received enough votes to win election to the board.
The REI Union called the vote “historic.” It said the 115,000-member votes cast represented “likely … the highest turnout for an election in REI history.” The results followed a massive “Vote No” campaign organized by the REI Union, which also drew more than 10,000 votes of support for its board nominees, Tefere Gebre and Shemona Moreno.
REI issued a statement following the vote, saying it was “disappointed with the outcome.” Meanwhile, the REI Union issued its own statement applauding the results.
“This victory was only possible because REI members and REI workers stood together to send a resounding message that it is time for the co-op to return to its core values,” the Union said. “We are optimistic that Mary Beth Laughton will take this opportunity to listen to everyone who voted for workers and members to have a voice in the company’s future.”
REI Board Nominations Rejected: What Happens Now?
In recent years, REI has received criticism for nominating and electing executives from brands like ExxonMobil, Starbucks, and McKinsey Consulting to its board. The three candidates REI put on the ballot for this election were Liz Huebner, Michael McAfee, and Monica Schwartz.
“We asked Co-op members to reject the three candidates put forth by REI because they represented the results of an undemocratic process,” the REI Union told GearJunkie. “REI unilaterally selected those three candidates for the board of directors and prevented any other candidates from appearing on the ballot.”
However, in a statement following the vote, REI Board of Directors Chair Chris Carr addressed how the co-op selects its nominees.
“We look for candidates with relevant experience operating businesses of similar size and scale to REI; a demonstrated history of innovation and disruption in the consumer experience industry; and proven effectiveness as a board member,” Carr wrote.
Per REI’s bylaws, the three empty board seats will remain vacant for now. However, the bylaws also enable the board of directors — Chris Carr, Ted Phillip, Kari Glover, Doug Mack, Patricia Lopez, Sharon Philpot, and CEO Mary Beth Laughton — to appoint its own candidates selected by its nominations committee.
REI did not specify a timeline to fill the empty seats. Any appointee placed in them would need to have their position on the board ratified in the next annual election.
The REI Union has called to place its candidates, Gebre (who works with Greenpeace) and Moreno (of 350.org), in two of the three empty seats. In a statement following the election results, Moreno said she would gladly still serve on the board given the opportunity.
The Union told GearJunkie that REI has not yet responded to this proposal.
“I ran for the Board because I wanted to advocate for greater transparency and democracy. The results of today’s election are a step toward making that happen,” Gebre said in a statement. “With three vacancies on the Board, I’d still be happy to serve and work toward making sure workers and members are represented fairly.”
Controversy at the Co-op
The recent vote marks the latest chapter in what has been a disruptive several months for the 24 million-member co-op. In February, REI endorsed Trump’s Secretary of the Interior, Doug Burgum. The move garnered backlash from the union and many of its members and customers. Months later, Laughton issued a video apology for having done so, but not before environmental advocate, drag artist, and social media icon Pattie Gonia called for a boycott of the co-op.
The month prior, REI terminated its Experiences Program, laying off 400 employees around the country. The program had helped provide gear and outdoor experiences for its members for 40 years.
And at the end of 2024, the UMass Amherst Labor Center published a report titled “Beneath REI’s Green Sheen: Union Busting, Debt Bondage, and Partnership with Eco-Criminals.” It outlined labor rights violations along REI’s global supply chain, indicating factory workers were subject to debt bondage, sub-poverty wages, and workplace discrimination. Since 2022, 11 REI stores have voted to unionize across nine states.
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