If you are one of Costco registered members, make sure to stock up your pantry before the end of the month. In a push for better pay and benefits, over 18,000 unionized Costco workers across the nation have voted to greenlight a strike if the wholesale giant doesn’t meet their demands by January 31.
Costco workers demand change amid stalled negotiations
This potential walkout could join a growing list of Teamsters-led strikes targeting major industry players like Amazon and Starbucks —a trend that’s making big waves in the world of organized labor.
On Sunday, the strike received overwhelming support, with more than 85% of Costco Teamsters voting in favor of taking to the picket lines should negotiations fail to deliver results.
What Teamsters are asking for
According to the union, Costco has turned down key proposals in the contract talks, including requests for higher seniority pay, paid family leave, improved bereavement policies, sick leaveand protections against workplace surveillance. For a company that congratulates itself on looking out for its employees and their work-life balance, the wholesale retailer doesn’t seem keen on granting more rights to their workforce.
Bryan Fields, a Costco employee from Baltimore and member of Teamsters Local 570, shared with news outlets that the strike deadline follows months of stalled talks, repeated extensions, and unsuccessful negotiations with the company.
“They had plenty of time to negotiate, but all they did was extend, extend, extend,” said Fields, who has been with the membership-only retailer for more than ten years.
Employees reflect on months of frustration
Both Fields and Teamsters spokesperson Matt McQuaid explained that discussions with Costco have been ongoing since August, yet no agreement has been reached.
“No one wants to strike. It’s not something anyone is excited about, and I’m sure the company feels the same way,” Fields remarked, adding, “Let’s skip all of this and simply honor what they commit to in their code of conduct —taking care of their own employees.”
According to the Teamsters, Costco recently reported $254 billion in annual revenue and $7.4 billion in net profits—a staggering 135% increase since 2018.
Although the specifics of the union’s ongoing negotiations with Costco leadership are still unfolding, McQuaid stated that employees are “fully prepared” to strike starting Feb. 1 if a deal isn’t reached.
-Practice pickets and strike preparations
Last week, hundreds of Costco Teamsters staged practice pickets across the country, from Hayward, California, to Sumner, Washington, and Long Island, New York, the organization noted in a press release on Sunday.
The 18,000 Teamsters union members who authorized the strike represent 8% of Costco’s workforce, which is primarily non-union.
“Our members have made their message crystal clear—Costco must agree to a fair contract, or they’ll face consequences,” said Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien in the release.
“From the very start, we’ve made it clear to Costco that our members won’t work a single day past January 31 without securing a groundbreaking, industry-leading contract,” O’Brien emphasized. “Costco’s profit-hungry executives have less than two weeks to step up and make things right. If they don’t, they’ll have no one to blame but themselves when our members walk out on strike.”
As of this month, Costco Wholesale operates 624 locations across the United States.
Costco at a crossroads
This membership-only warehouse club is the third-largest retailer globally, trailing only behind Walmart and Amazon, with over 600 stores nationwide.
Fields describes the employees as the “backbone” of the multi-billion-dollar company’s success and says they simply want “a fair share of the pie.” He remains hopeful that Costco will find common ground with union members before the strike deadline arrives. “The ball is in their court now,” he remarked.
“The union is nothing more than the voice of the people,” Fields added. “It’s up to the company to decide if we become the force that stands up for those people. It really is that straightforward.”
