A Strange Thing Happened When Patagonia Workers Said They Wanted A Union

The union says the outdoor apparel brand stayed neutral in the process, in contrast to companies like Trader Joe’s and REI.

When workers at its outlet store in Reno, Nevada, recently petitioned for a union election, the outdoor apparel and equipment brand Patagonia didn’t react like other big-name American companies often do.

There were no “captive audience” meetings and no pressure from management to reject the union effort, according to the United Food and Commercial Workers. The union says managers didn’t take a position on the vote and remained neutral during the process.

When the ballots were tallied on March 1, the employees had voted 9-5 in favor of joining UFCW Local 711, making it Patagonia’s first organized store in the country.

Nick Helmreich, a worker at the Reno shop, noted in a statement through the union that other progressive-seeming employers have chosen to take different paths when recently confronted with organizing efforts.

“So far, it’s encouraging to see Patagonia stay neutral and not resort to the awful anti-union tactics used by companies like REI and Trader Joe’s,” Helmreich said. “We’re only starting out, but it’s an optimistic sign that they’re letting us, the workers, decide our future.”