Re: REI, U can't handle the truth

[Lucky Larry]

The party line at rei was that returns sucked up a very small % of profits; but the also said that they only made $1 profit on each coat they sold. So it is kind'a hard to really know what the truth is.

 

While working there it was a real morale buster watching "our" raises getting eaten up by the phony returns people made. And yet it was great to be able to tell people to just return it if they don't like it.

 

Overall, I had the best and worst of times while working at rei. I am glad that I got laid off from there before I got fired. Other people were not so 'Lucky' as myself. Some of them just got fired or kept getting their hours cut to ribbons/ split shifts/crazy shifts; this is going on while rei is still hiring new people.

 

One day, in jest, I rubbed what I thought was a friendly joking co-worker, the wrong way. They accused me of throwing them under the bus--wah wah. Turns out they had a very fragile macho(vanity) ego and so they torpedoed me, I strongly suspect, indirectly through a co-worker they set up. Lesson: Be careful who you joke with because they may not be on your side, even if they act like they are. Better yet, don't joke with anyone in the work place anymore--it's your job or theirs--serious stuff in the hyper competitive world of today.

 

And yet, there were some people there I totally respected and had a good time working with; while others were snakes in the grass. Funny how the snakes seemed to 'fit in' almost better than some of the truly genuine people.

 

One hired snakes' job was to work a store, get whomever they wanted in their sights (purely based on if they liked how you looked to them) and take them out of commission-- an inside informant who got employees fired based on his words, not facts--a fellow employee called him on it and was told everything was in his file. Guess what, nothing in the file. Later, the snake, would transfer to another store to do more 'dirty work.' An employee at the new store he was working called our store and asked, 'who is this guy?'

 

I was the proverbial whistle blower, and the bug up their ass. I would call them on their shit in their so-called 'anonymous' employee survey. Later, of course, they would track me down and ask me why I was concerned about a sensitive subject. They told me rei had no corporate policy about that subject.

 

Needless to say, I made some poor personal choices while working there; however, their lack of pro-active labor involvement, even when labor sought management guidance, lead to a hyper-inflated environment of co-worker hostilities. This may be true everwhere due to 'liabilties' of addressing any thing as sensitive as co-worker issues. Often times management would tell me that I needed to step up, and yet never give me any information on what that actually meant. I had a manager I worked my ass off with but when it came time for a review, humm, no recollection of me working hard, just hardly working. Conjecture: they were probably just playing ball with management to protect their own interests.

 

They do discriminate: just look at the % of young workers compared to old, % of minorities that work there, % of full time to part time, who gets promoted, who gets paid the most(as usual, the ones that do the least). Of course, they are probably not much different than any other retail chain whose labor is eating away their ceos' profits.

 

In the 60's if you did not like the way a company did their business you would boycott them. Today, who are you going to boycott when most everything is made in communist China--everyone? God only knows what kind of things they get away with over there with regard to labor and environment.

 

But just remember dear shoppers how rei contributes soo much to environmental causes.

 

They are no different than any other corporation in their pro-jingoisms.

Edited January 3, 2011 by Lucky Larry

[denalidave]

Well Larry, I'm glad you got that off your chest. But, to presume that less returns would equal pay raises for the pee-ons is simple absurd. (IMO) No matter how much you saved the company, the ones who benefit financially would be higher up the food chain. I'm sure they would be good at blowing sunshine up yer arse though. REI is just another corporate minded company pushing for a better bottom line, which is not likely to be manifested by giving the front line workers raises when the store has a better quarter. Just sayin...

[Lucky Larry]

Ja, I admit I had some gas to blow Dave, it's just this environment of silence that has to be broken, by all of us, if anything is going to change. I talked with some former rei workers that have a lot more anger toward rei than myself. The anger is gone; it's just another story now. I lied, I'm still angry-wah wah.

Edited December 28, 2010 by Lucky Larry

[stevetimetravlr]

Get REI's CEO job and change how they operate. Maybe get on the Board of directors first to get yourself acquainted. Who wants to work in retail sales anyway?

[Nitrox]

REI has special staff that travels from store to store infiltrating the hourly retail employee ranks in order to fire those not corporate enough?

 

 

Ummmmmm, yeeeeaaaahhhhh...

[denalidave]

REI has special staff that travels from store to store infiltrating the hourly retail employee ranks in order to fire those not corporate enough?

 

 

Ummmmmm, yeeeeaaaahhhhh...

Well, gaaauuulleee. Surprise, surprise, SURPRIZE!

 

[denalidave]

Who wants to work in retail sales anyway?

You, I recon...

[klenke]

And where, pray tell, do you think your needle pointed on the slacker-o-meter, Lucky Larry?

 

20 percent of the people do 80% of the work, and the rest just bitch about all of the "work" they are doing. That's my take on the old adage. I should know. I'm a sl-sll-sll-acker myself.

[rob]

Get REI's CEO job and change how they operate. Maybe get on the Board of directors first to get yourself acquainted. Who wants to work in retail sales anyway?

 

Nice thought, except that board candidates are selected by the board. There is no path to board membership without approval of the nomination and governance committee.

 

some "co-op!"

 

[AlpineK]

See what-cha-wanna-do in this case is identify board members and figure out what kind of activities they like outside of work. Maybe it's a posh tennis club, or a charity organization.

 

Join the club/organization then start kissing ass. Keep in mind it takes money to make money. Make sure you've got plenty to invest.

 

Here's an educational video

 

[video:youtube]

 

[prole]

[Lucky Larry]

Get REI's CEO job and change how they operate. Maybe get on the Board of directors first to get yourself acquainted. Who wants to work in retail sales anyway?

Fair enough. It use to be a good place to work at in the old days I was told. I just got in at the tail end of the good days.

[Lucky Larry]

REI has special staff that travels from store to store infiltrating the hourly retail employee ranks in order to fire those not corporate enough?

 

 

Ummmmmm, yeeeeaaaahhhhh...

It would appear that way.

[prole]

Get REI's CEO job and change how they operate. Maybe get on the Board of directors first to get yourself acquainted. Who wants to work in retail sales anyway?

Fair enough.

 

Uh, yeah.

 

AT SOME point, REI's board of directors changed the bylaws to make it virtually impossible for anyone not of their choosing to join their ranks. These days, if you'd like to get onto the boardand you might, because its members are paid $15,000 a year, the chairman $20,000you must win the approval of its nominating committee, a subcommittee of the board. Failing that, you must gather the signatures of 1 percent of the co-op's active membershipabout 21,000 names. To make things just a little more challenging, the co-op won't let you even peek at the membership list, which they say is not released for privacy reasons.

 

But let's say you're stubborn and willing to stand outside an REI store and gather member signatures for six months or so. Your name will, indeed, be placed on the ballotclearly distinguishable from the board-nominated, board-endorsed candidates. In the words of a straight-faced corporate spokesperson, "the petition process sets a high threshold for those who wish to be placed on the ballot by petition, to ensure serious candidates."

 

Bill Britt, of Anchorage, in his second term as chairman of the board and its longest-serving member, was himself a successful petition candidate in 1982. Getting on the ballot back then, however, required the signatures of only 50 members. Sometime after thatprecisely when is buried in those archivesthe board upped the ante. Britt and two other incumbents appeared on this year's ballot, all unopposed. With "choices" like that, it is small wonder that the percentage of members voting each year has been declining steadily: 14 percent in 1980, 5 percent in 1999, 4.3 percent in 2000, 3.9 percent in 2001, 2.9 percent last year, and 2.8 percent this spring.--from here.

 

 

[Lucky Larry]

And where, pray tell, do you think your needle pointed on the slacker-o-meter, Lucky Larry?

 

20 percent of the people do 80% of the work, and the rest just bitch about all of the "work" they are doing. That's my take on the old adage. I should know. I'm a sl-sll-sll-acker myself.

Well, the only lesson my dad taught me was if I wanted something I would have to work for it: strictly old school blue collar stuff. I always overcompensated by working too hard; no concept of what 'pacing oneself' was.

 

Younger staff at REI told me to work the system and not let it work you.

 

I don't hold anything against young adults for being slackers. Why would you want to bust your balls for a system that treats you like fast food: eats you up to shit you out.

[rob]

Get REI's CEO job and change how they operate. Maybe get on the Board of directors first to get yourself acquainted. Who wants to work in retail sales anyway?

Fair enough.

 

Uh, yeah.

 

AT SOME point, REI's board of directors changed the bylaws to make it virtually impossible for anyone not of their choosing to join their ranks. These days, if you'd like to get onto the boardand you might, because its members are paid $15,000 a year, the chairman $20,000you must win the approval of its nominating committee, a subcommittee of the board. Failing that, you must gather the signatures of 1 percent of the co-op's active membershipabout 21,000 names. To make things just a little more challenging, the co-op won't let you even peek at the membership list, which they say is not released for privacy reasons.

 

But let's say you're stubborn and willing to stand outside an REI store and gather member signatures for six months or so. Your name will, indeed, be placed on the ballotclearly distinguishable from the board-nominated, board-endorsed candidates. In the words of a straight-faced corporate spokesperson, "the petition process sets a high threshold for those who wish to be placed on the ballot by petition, to ensure serious candidates."

 

Bill Britt, of Anchorage, in his second term as chairman of the board and its longest-serving member, was himself a successful petition candidate in 1982. Getting on the ballot back then, however, required the signatures of only 50 members. Sometime after thatprecisely when is buried in those archivesthe board upped the ante. Britt and two other incumbents appeared on this year's ballot, all unopposed. With "choices" like that, it is small wonder that the percentage of members voting each year has been declining steadily: 14 percent in 1980, 5 percent in 1999, 4.3 percent in 2000, 3.9 percent in 2001, 2.9 percent last year, and 2.8 percent this spring.--from here.

 

 

This is old...REI cancelled ballot-nominations, and the CEO makes upwards of $1 million.

[prole]

This is old...REI cancelled ballot-nominations, and the CEO makes upwards of $1 million.

 

Then the old "just become a CEO and then make changes" argument is even more absurd than it was in 2003?

[rob]

almost as absurd as Kevbone's 9/11 truther beliefs.

[rob]

kevbone should just become president and make changes.

[Jim]

AT SOME point, REI's board of directors changed the bylaws to make it virtually impossible for anyone not of their choosing to join their ranks. These days, if you'd like to get onto the boardand you might, because its members are paid $15,000 a year, the chairman $20,000you must win the approval of its nominating committee, a subcommittee of the board. Failing that, you must gather the signatures of 1 percent of the co-op's active membershipabout 21,000 names. To make things just a little more challenging, the co-op won't let you even peek at the membership list, which they say is not released for privacy reasons.

 

But let's say you're stubborn and willing to stand outside an REI store and gather member signatures for six months or so. Your name will, indeed, be placed on the ballotclearly distinguishable from the board-nominated, board-endorsed candidates. In the words of a straight-faced corporate spokesperson, "the petition process sets a high threshold for those who wish to be placed on the ballot by petition, to ensure serious candidates."

 

Bill Britt, of Anchorage, in his second term as chairman of the board and its longest-serving member, was himself a successful petition candidate in 1982. Getting on the ballot back then, however, required the signatures of only 50 members. Sometime after thatprecisely when is buried in those archivesthe board upped the ante. Britt and two other incumbents appeared on this year's ballot, all unopposed. With "choices" like that, it is small wonder that the percentage of members voting each year has been declining steadily: 14 percent in 1980, 5 percent in 1999, 4.3 percent in 2000, 3.9 percent in 2001, 2.9 percent last year, and 2.8 percent this spring.--from here.

 

Thanks for the article. I worked with Bill for a few years and would have to say he shared the frustration of some of these changes but was out-voted. Eventually he left the Board while a few others seem to be permanant fixtures.

 

I think things veered off the co-op course when they decided to go big retail. That decision inherently involves more bottom-line decisions. How many large co-ops are out there that actually function as one. PCC isn't exactly in the same league as REI. I've heard decent things about Costco, how they treat their employees, etc., but they are not run by their members either.

[tvashtarkatena]

Did your dividend check bounce? Did REI refuse to take some piece of shit jacket you trashed for years back?

 

If no to both, then kindly STFU, ya fuckin' baby.

 

It's retail...your choices are practically endless.

[builder206]

I was the proverbial whistle blower

 

Wow, a whistleblower at REI. That's really edgy.

[Lucky Larry]

I was the proverbial whistle blower

 

Wow, a whistleblower at REI. That's really edgy.

 

Not as edgy as your comment.

[tvashtarkatena]

Looks like we got ourselves an edge-off boyz. Converse Allstars n Miami Devices at 10 paces.

[Lucky Larry]

Looks like we got ourselves an edge-off boyz. Converse Allstars n Miami Devices at 10 paces.

 

Thanks for the laugh, because it is.