Teamsters working at retail giant Costco voted for: approve the strike Ahead of the contract's expiration on January 31, the labor group said in a statement:
The contract covers more than 18,000 Costco employees, and the Teamsters voted by an 85% margin in favor of a strike, the union said.
“Costco recently reported annual sales of $254 billion and net income of $7.4 billion, an increase of 135 percent from 2018. But despite these record profits, , the company refuses to meet the Teamsters' demands for fair wages and benefits that reflect the company's great success,'' the Teamsters said.
Costco cites labor disputes as one of the “risks” affecting its supply chain, and states the need to control labor and benefit costs.
In its 2024 annual report to the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said, “Our ability to control labor and benefit costs may be affected by changes in regulations, prevailing wage rates, union relationships, “It is affected by numerous internal and external factors, including medical and other insurance costs.” .
Teamsters President Sean O'Brien will become the first Teamsters president to speak at the Republican National Convention ahead of the 2024 election. Although the union refused to endorse the presidential candidate, many saw the move as an implicit nod to President Trump.
President Trump has nominated former Rep. Lori Chavez Delemer of Oregon, an unusually pro-union Republican who supported the PRO Act, which expanded workers' ability to form unions, to lead the Labor Department.
According to the Cornell School of Industrial and Labor Relations' Labor Behavior Tracker, the number of retail business closures increased from nine in 2022 to 37 in 2023. The work stoppage affected more than 3,000 workers, with more than 50,000 days on strike.
Public sentiment toward unions has also improved as post-pandemic inflation has led to a surge in labor activity across the U.S., with workers in many industries going on strike for better wages, benefits, and working conditions. did.
