Members of the Teamsters union have authorized a strike against Costco on February 1 unless they reach a deal with the warehouse retailer before January 31’s contract expiration date. The union, representing around 8% of Costco’s 219,000 US employees, claims that the company has rejected proposals on seniority pay, paid family leave, and bereavement policies.
The strike, which affects 56 stores across five states and approximately 18,000 workers, is primarily driven by disagreements over wages and benefits. The union has also raised concerns about surveillance and sick time policies at Costco.
This strike marks a significant event in the US retail industry, given that less than 5% of retail workers are represented by unions. In contrast, Amazon, another major retailer, does not recognize the Teamsters as representing its workers and has refused to negotiate with them after a similar strike in December.
The vote for strike authorization is a common tactic used by unions ahead of contract expiration dates. Historically, this vote often leads to authorized strikes, although some negotiations can result in avoiding work stoppages altogether.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/01/20/business/costco-strike-teamsters/index.html