Washington's iconic outdoor retailer, REI, has gotten a little too far out over its skis. The member-owned co-op has been losing money for years. And that's put it at odds with its employees who want better wages and benefits.

On today's episode, workers in the service industry are organizing at companies that used to seem immune from unionization. So, could the next generation of workers revolutionize retail?

Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes. 

Do you have a question about the economy that you want us to answer? Or an idea for a future episode? Email us at booming@kuow.org. 

Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is Carol Smith. Our producer is Lucy Soucek. Our hosts are Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg.

Washington's iconic outdoor retailer, REI, has gotten a little too far out over its skis. The member-owned co-op has been losing money for years. And that's put it at odds with its employees who want better wages and benefits.
On today's episode, workers in the service industry are organizing at companies that used to seem immune from unionization. So, could the next generation of workers revolutionize retail?
Thank you to the supporters of KUOW, you help make this show possible! If you want to help out, go to&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/donate/booming">kuow.org/donate/boomingnotes.</a>&nbsp;
Do you have a question about the economy that you want us to answer? Or an idea for a future episode? Email us at&nbsp;<a href="mailto:booming@kuow.org">booming@kuow.org</a>.&nbsp;
Booming is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network. Our editor is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/carol-smith">Carol Smith</a>. Our producer is&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/lucy-soucek">Lucy Soucek</a><a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/whitney-henry-lester"></a>. Our hosts are&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/joshua-mcnichols">Joshua McNichols</a>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.kuow.org/authors/monica-nickelsburg">Monica Nickelsburg</a>.

Booming is an economy podcast from a city that (almost) never stops growing. The Seattle area's been home to many booms over the years. It’s brought jobs, people and wealth to the region, but also real growing pains that people here feel every day. In Booming, KUOW economy reporters Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg explore hidden connections between technology, cities, work and our day-to-day experiences. We’ll ask the important question: how can more of us benefit from the booms and weather the busts?

Booming is an economy podcast from a city that (almost) never stops growing. The Seattle area's been home to many booms over the years. It’s brought jobs, people and wealth to the region, but also real growing pains that people here feel every day. In Booming, KUOW economy reporters Joshua McNichols and Monica Nickelsburg explore hidden connections between technology, cities, work and our day-to-day experiences. We’ll ask the important question: how can more of us benefit from the booms and weather the busts?

Booming

REI has been losing money for years, and that's put it at odds with its employees who want better wages and benefits. Could the next generation of workers revolutionize retail?

Advertisement