REI SoHo Ski Shop Workers Unionized with the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU) walked off the job on an Unfair Labor Practices (ULP) Strike on December 4th and have been out on the picket line at 303 Lafayette Street since.  The 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, on October 4th, REI imposed a new Voluntary Respirator Policy nationwide that declared, without providing any evidence, that Personal Protection Equipment (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; the replacement filters for those; and all N-95 masks.  The Bike and Ski Shop Workers of REI SoHo continue to call 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 the policy change.

Photo Courtesy Of The REI ShHo Shop Workers Union's Facebook Page.