REI SoHo Ski Shop Workers who Unionized with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) walked off the job Wednesday (December 4th) on an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) Strike and remain on the picket line.  Ski Shop Workers are required to melt plastic and wax to repair skis - up to 8-to-15 pairs a day at the peak of Ski Season.  This work has typically been done with the use of respirators in past years.  Yet, in October, REI imposed a new Voluntary Respirator Policy nationwide that declared, without providing any evidence, that PPE are not necessary when conducting ski tunes.  In the case of SoHo, managers marched into the shop and removed all existing PPE: Half-face reusable respirators, replacement filters for those and all N-95 masks.  The Bike and Ski Shop Workers of REI SoHo are calling on customers and supporters to e-mail REI and demand that they provide referenced reports that the shop is well-ventilated and safe enough to work in, return Ski Shop Workers’ respirators, get an Industrial Hygienist to inspect the shop, ensure PPE be properly managed and maintained, and negotiate with Workers over this policy change.