Retail worker unionization efforts are advancing on multiple fronts in early 2026, even as the institutional infrastructure supporting organized labor faces serious threats. Workers at the Patagonia store in New York City's SoHo neighborhood filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board in late February, seeking representation through the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU). As WNY Labor Today reported, the filing would make it the first unionized Patagonia location in the Eastern United States.
The Patagonia workers are organizing in response to what they describe as a sharp erosion of the store's workplace culture. According to the RWDSU, employees cited the elimination of a long-standing week-long winter break, cuts to health care benefits, removal of tuition reimbursements, and diminished professional development opportunities as catalysts for the organizing drive. The irony is hard to miss: Patagonia has built its brand identity around environmental and social responsibility, yet its own workers say they have been forced to turn to collective bargaining to preserve basic benefits. GearJunkie noted that the SoHo filing follows an earlier union effort at a Patagonia location on the West Coast.
At REI, the tension between management and unionized workers has escalated significantly. The outdoor co-op now has 11 stores with union representation through UFCW and RWDSU locals — a movement that began in 2022 — but contract negotiations have stalled badly. Modern Retail reported that after two days of bargaining in late February 2026, REI declared an impasse and unilaterally implemented its last, best, and final offer. Workers responded by voting down the company's contract proposal by a 98.5% margin, signaling deep dissatisfaction with the terms and a willingness to continue fighting.
The broader landscape for retail unionization remains challenging. Bureau of Labor Statistics data, released in its annual union membership report in February, shows that just 4.6% of retail trade workers are represented by a union — one of the lowest rates of any major sector. In These Times reported that the union waves at Starbucks, Trader Joe's, and REI have yet to produce first contracts at many newly organized locations, raising questions about whether organizing victories can translate into tangible improvements for workers.
Adding to the uncertainty is the precarious state of the NLRB itself. Trader Joe's United and other union advocates have raised alarms about legal challenges to the Board's authority, with companies including Trader Joe's and Amazon arguing before the NLRB that the 89-year-old agency's structure is unconstitutional. An unfavorable ruling could undermine the legal foundation for union elections and unfair labor practice charges across the retail sector. Meanwhile, NW Labor Press reported that the NLRB ordered REI to reinstate a fired worker, demonstrating that the Board continues to act on enforcement — even as its long-term authority remains in question. For retail workers weighing whether to organize, the message is decidedly mixed: the movement has momentum, but the road to a signed contract has never looked longer.