Thousands of Costco workers are preparing to strike if a new contract deal is not reached by a Jan. 31 midnight deadline, with the roughly 18,000 unionized employees demanding higher wages and improved benefits.
“Our members have spoken loud and clear—Costco must deliver a fair contract, or they’ll be held accountable,” Teamsters general president Sean M. O’Brien said in a statement at the time.
The Teamsters union represents 18,000 Costco workers across six states: California, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia, and Washington. However, the labor agreement covers fewer than 10 percent of the company’s 617 U.S. stores, while the potential impact of a strike on store operations remains uncertain.
The union is seeking higher wages and improved benefits, saying that Costco’s financial performance justifies better compensation. The retailer reported $7.4 billion in net profits for its most recent fiscal year.
“From day one, we’ve told Costco that our members won’t work a day past January 31 without a historic, industry-leading agreement,” O'Brien said following the strike authorization vote.
Since the Jan. 20 vote, the union has on several occasions issued warnings to Costco that it’s serious about the contract demands and that a collapse in the talks could lead to a walkout.
Several days ago, Costco Teamsters rallied outside the company’s corporate headquarters in Issaquah, Washington, reiterating their demands and indicating that the two sides remained far from reaching a deal.
Costco did not respond to The Epoch Times’ request for comment on the status of the contract talks and the strike threat by publication time.
The company said in a statement that it had worked well with the union for years and is engaging in negotiations in good faith.
“We have always treated our employees fairly and well throughout the history of our company,” Costco stated.
The International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents around 1.3 million in the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.
