In a “near unanimous” vote, Costco employees in Norfolk, Va. represented by Teamsters Local 822 have authorized a strike following more than eight months of negotiations, according to the union. Nearly 250 Costco warehouse workers voted to join the union in January 2024.
Additionally, Teamsters Local 174 also is in negotiations for more than 150 Costco drivers in Sumner, Wash., who voted to join the union in April 2024. The Teamsters also have a national contract with Costco for 18,000 of its members that expires Jan. 31, 2025; contract negotiations are scheduled to begin Aug. 21, 2024.
“We are determined to secure the strongest national contract ever for Costco workers,” said Tom Erickson, Teamsters Warehouse Division Director in a statement. “The militancy we are seeing in Norfolk is happening all across the country. In Washington State, drivers are fighting for more at the table, and all across the country workers are organizing and mobilizing the keep Costco in check.”
Organizing retail employees has been a slow process, but there are signs that the effort is gaining momentum. Unionized employees at an Apple store in Towson, Md. recently won raises and other benefits, and Starbucks has been negotiating with the Workers United union and recently reported “significant progress.” In June 2024, New York City-based Amazon workers voted to join the Teamsters union.
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