A letter (and a plea) to REI

Change happens when we use our voices. If you're like me, and you've been heartbroken by the anti-union, anti-environment, conservative-leaning actions of REI the last several months (and let's face it, years), I invite you to use your voice and let them know. Join me and other outdoor advocates in writing a letter to REI's CEO, Mary Beth.

While the REI Union has provided great talking points here, I wanted to share the letter that I wrote to Mary Beth in case you'd like to use it for inspiration.

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Mary Beth,

I’m writing to you not just as a longtime Co-op member (it's been too long to even remember exactly when I joined), but also as someone who has always believed in REI's mission. I've believed in your mission and truly felt good supporting your brand.

Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, REI was always part of the outdoor landscape I loved. I became a member because I believed in REI's mission to connect every person to the power of the outdoors, and in your own words, to do so in a way that “prioritizes people and planet before profits.”

I’ve dedicated much of my adult life to advocating for inclusive outdoor spaces (both online and in person), and I’ve built a community and a podcast that uplifts the voices of people who never felt like they belonged in traditional outdoor circles.

For a long time, REI felt like a brand that supported that same vision. But over the past few years (especially in 2025), my trust in REI has been severely damaged. And if I'm being honest, I'm not sure if it can be repaired.

This year alone, REI has taken action after action that feels deeply out of step with its values and stated mission. The endorsement of Doug Burgum—a politician whose environmental record and alignment with Trump’s anti-conservation policies are public knowledge—was a clear betrayal of your environmental ethos. The apology issued after the backlash felt more like PR damage control than sincere accountability. We all know endorsements like that don’t happen accidentally. They’re vetted, reviewed, and approved at the highest levels. Walking it back only after months of criticism doesn’t earn back trust. It reveals where REI’s priorities truly lie.

Then came the decision to eliminate outdoor experiences and classes, laying off thousands of dedicated employees. That alone strikes at the heart of what REI is supposed to be. That’s how people connect with nature and community. That's how most people were able to dip their toes safely into outdoor experiences for the first time ever. It's also how so many people discovered your gear! Financially, it makes no sense to eliminate those classes and experiences (people who attended them bought so much gear). Ethically, ending those programs felt like a betrayal of REI's purpose.

And of course, there’s REI’s ongoing anti-union behavior, which has made it impossible for me to feel proud of being a member. Employing Morgan Lewis (a known union-busting law firm used by Trump) to bargain with REI workers is indefensible.

So is refusing to send any decision-maker to the bargaining table. So is the company’s reported decision to illegally withhold merit raises and bonuses from unionized workers. So is taking away respirators from ski shop workers who need them.

These actions do not reflect care for your employees or for the people who power your brand.

I voted NO in the recent board election because I support REI workers. I’ve followed the union’s efforts closely, and I found it reprehensible that REI refused to even allow two employee-nominated candidates onto the ballot. Instead, the board hand-picked corporate candidates, undermining the democratic process that is supposed to define a co-op.

As a member, I’m honestly disgusted. You cannot claim to be building a more inclusive outdoors while ignoring the voices of your workers—many of whom are BIPOC, queer, disabled, and part of the very communities you claim to support. If you look at the report from the National Employment Law Project that was recently released, your racial biases and other discriminatory practices prove that REI is rotting from the inside out. The facts tell a completely different story from what you claim.

This hypocrisy is glaring, and the consequences are real.

What I want from you, Mary Beth, is not more crafted communications or vague statements. I want change. I want accountability. I want to see REI live up to its values—not just in words, but in action. That means ending union-busting practices, bringing decision-makers to the table, respecting employee voices, and re-committing to the democratic and environmental principles that made REI worth supporting in the first place.

REI is at a crossroads. I hope you choose to return it to the path of integrity, inclusion, and shared purpose. Until then, many of us are watching, and we won’t stop speaking out.

Sincerely,

Madeleine

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Use your voice.  Write a letter to REI's CEO, Mary Beth, today!