MYNORTHWEST NEWS

Seattle employees celebrate as REI raises wages at select stores

Jul 26, 2016, 5:58 AM | Updated: 12:40 pm

REI, Seattle...

Seattle Councilmember Kshama Sawant gathers with REI employees at the Seattle flagship store to celebrate the wage hikes that are planed for August. (KIRO 7)

(KIRO 7)

Northwest-based outdoor co-op REI is upping its wages in the first in a series of employee changes.

Co-op leadership told its employees this week that a quarter of its stores will see a bump in wages — mostly around 10 percent. The co-op says it is focusing the raises during August in urban areas where living costs are placing a strain on its workers.

REI insist that its latest changes to employee pay and scheduling are not a reaction to employees sharing stories of being hungry and homeless. Rather, it is the first in a series of changes at the company that will take place over months.

Related: Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz steps into new role

But that won’t keep Seattle City Council member Kshama Sawant from celebrating. She and Seattle REI workers gathered at the flagship store Tuesday to celebrate the win for employees. Sawant helped organize a town hall July 11, where REI employees spoke of hardships while working for the outdoor retailer that Sawant says reported $2.4 billion in revenue for 2015.

According to an REI spokesperson:

Effective August 21, we are making significant investments in employee base pay. Twenty-five percent of REI stores will receive pay investments ranging from 5-15 percent. The majority of these stores will receive an average investment of 10 percent. Every employee in these markets will receive an increase, and increases will vary by employee. In addition, our store employees will be eligible for annual merit-based pay increases.

Those markets that REI is focusing on are: Seattle, Boston, Chicago, Denver, Portland, San Francisco and Washington D.C. it is focusing on those cities because it is where “rising living costs are having a disproportionate impact.”

“By mid-2017, all REI retail store employees will be paid clearly above the majority of retailers in their market,” the spokesperson said, noting that the outdoor co-op has been considering the changes for months. In October, the company plans to update employees on further changes that will address other concerns involving scheduling.

MyNorthwest News

Photo: On Monday, Mayor Bruce Harrell announced there will be 16 new preschool classrooms across Se...

Julia Dallas

Harrell’s office announces Seattle preschool slots for thousands of kids

Thousands more families will have the chance to start their children's Seattle preschool education earlier, thanks to a program launching.

4 hours ago

Digital...

Micki Gamez

How parents can help prevent children from falling victim to online sex crimes

Chances are, if your teen has a cell phone or tablet, they either know someone or they have been the victim of an online sex crime because kids as young as seven are online more than ever. My interest in this story began almost the same time last year when my daughter came home and […]

8 hours ago

Pierce County Jail...

Bill Kaczaraba

Pierce County Corrections chief at odds with the employee guild

The Corrections Bureau's Guild has issued Patti Jackson a vote of 'no confidence,' as reported by The Tacoma News Tribune.

9 hours ago

Image: A Seattle Police Department vehicle seen during the day...

Sam Campbell

Security guard stabbed, suspect barricades inside Beacon Hill apartment

SWAT officers surrounded a complex in Seattle's Beacon Hill neighborhood after police said a man stabbed a guard barricaded himself inside.

11 hours ago

seattle indecent exposure...

Frank Sumrall

Seattle man arrested for 14 counts of indecent exposure, most near schools

A 34-year-old man was arrested by Seattle police (SPD) in connection to 14 counts of indecent exposure near Lake Forest Park.

11 hours ago

Federal Way shootings...

Bill Kaczaraba

Federal Way Police say two shootings are related

Police believe two shootings in Federal Way are related.

13 hours ago

Seattle employees celebrate as REI raises wages at select stores