Another massive action! 18,000 Costco employees plan to strike

It is learned that recently, according to foreign media reports, the Teamsters Union announced that its members have approved Costco employees to strike from February 1, unless an agreement is reached with Costco to resolve differences over wages, benefits, etc. before the expiration of the current contract.

The union said that 85% of its members support the strike, involving 18,000 employees who will take collective action at Costco's 56 stores in five states in the United States. The main disputes between the union and Costco include wages, benefits and the company's rejection of relevant suggestions put forward by the union. The union said that these issues have not been properly resolved in the existing contract negotiations, forcing it to take strike action.

Teamsters members covered by Costco's national contract make up about 8% of the company's 219,000 employees at 616 stores in the U.S. Still, the massive strike would be an unprecedented challenge for a U.S. retailer where the vast majority of its employees are not organized.

On Christmas Eve, the Teamsters union went on strike at Amazon, but unlike Costco, Amazon did not recognize that the union represented any of its employees and refused to negotiate with the Teamsters union. The strike failed to achieve substantial results and the employees returned to work the day after Christmas.

Union votes to authorize strikes are usually held before a contract expires and are a common negotiating tactic. In these votes, the vast majority of workers support a strike. In June 2023, for example, 97% of Teamsters members voted to strike against UPS, but the two sides reached an agreement two weeks before the strike deadline to avoid conflict.

Author ✎ Rayna/

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