The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has given its members a clear message: the company must deliver a fair contract, or they’ll take action. In a move that could bring thousands of workers to the picket lines, 18,000 Costco Teamsters nationwide have voted by an overwhelming 85 percent margin to authorize a strike. The agreement, which covers over 1.3 million hardworking people in the US, Canada, and Puerto Rico, expires on January 31.
The teamsters are dissatisfied with the company’s refusal to present a fair contract that reflects its record-breaking profits. Despite generating $254 billion in annual revenue and $7.4 billion in net profits – a 135% increase since 2018 – Costco has yet to meet the teamsters’ demands for better wages and benefits.
“We’re not just talking about our own members, we’re talking about workers across this country who are being taken advantage of,” said Tom Erickson, Director of the Teamsters Warehouse Division. “We need fair treatment, and we need it now.”
The strike vote comes as hundreds of teamsters nationwide have already begun organizing practice pickets in preparation for a potential walkout. The teamsters’ leader, Sean M. O’Brien, has vowed to hold Costco accountable if the company refuses to meet their demands.
“We’re not going to back down,” said O’Brien. “We’re going to stand up for our members and fight for what’s fair.”
The strike is set to begin on February 1, unless a new agreement is reached between the teamsters and Costco executives.
Source: https://teamster.org/2025/01/costco-teamsters-overwhelmingly-vote-to-authorize-strike