Members of the Teamsters union who work at Costco Wholesale locations across the country voted to authorize a strike on Sunday, with more than 85% of members in favor of picketing.
The union represents more than 18,000 Costco workers nationally.
“Our members have spoken loud and clear – Costco must deliver a fair contract, or they will be held accountable,” Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien said in a press release Sunday.
GRAYS, ENGLAND – FEBRUARY 5: Overview of a Costco Wholesale at Lakeside Retail Park on February 5, 2024 in Grays, UK. (Photo by John Keeble/Getty Images)
John Keeble/Getty Images
“From day one, we’ve told Costco that our members will not work a day after January 31st without a historic, industry-leading agreement. Costco’s greedy executives have less than two weeks to do the right thing. If they refuse, when our members strike, not they have no one to blame themselves”.
The union says that “fair wages and benefits” are the cause of the strike.
According to the union, the wholesale giant recently reported annual revenue of $254 billion and net profit of $7.4 billion, a 135% increase from 2018.
“Yet despite these record profits, the company refuses to meet the Teamsters’ demands for fair wages and benefits that reflect the company’s tremendous success,” the union said.
In preparation for the strike, hundreds of Costco Teamsters organized pickets nationwide last week in Hayward, California, Sumner, Washington, and Long Island, New York.
“We are the backbone of Costco,” Bryan Fields, a Costco employee in Baltimore and a member of Teamsters Local 570, said in a press release. “We drive its success and create its profits. We expect the company to thrive and do well with us, but if they don’t, that’s on them. The company will deal with itself.”
