WA bill would require REI co-op to reserve board seats for workers
Some Democrats in Olympia think employees should have more representation on REI’s board of directors.
House Bill 1635, sponsored by state Rep. Cindy Ryu, a Democrat from Shoreline, would require any Washington-based consumer cooperative with more than 2,500 employees to reserve two seats on its board of directors for people who work at the co-op.
The bill doesn’t mention REI by name, but in an interview with Cascade PBS and KNKX last month, Ryu acknowledged that the bill is directed at the outdoor retail company. She wasn’t aware of any other co-ops in Washington it would apply to. (PCC, a large local grocery co-op, has about 1,800 employees, according to a 2024 financial report.)
Unionized workers at the REI store in Bellingham requested the bill. The Bellingham store is one of 11 REI stores nationwide that have voted to unionize since 2022. None of the unions have reached a contract yet with the company.
https://washingtonstatestandard.com/2025/02/16/wa-bill-would-require-rei-co-op-to-reserve-board-seats-for-workers/