
(GoRealNewsNow.com) – More than 18,000 dedicated Costco workers are potentially set to start a nationwide strike, asking for better benefits that compensate for their hard work amidst a mega-corporation with substantial profits.
As the January 31 contract expiration approaches, employees are prepared to fight for better benefits and conditions.
These developments are closely monitored because they have the potential to significantly impact consumers and disrupt the daily operations of this retail giant.
Costco workers, represented by the Teamsters union, have overwhelmingly—by an 85% margin—voted to authorize a strike if their demands for improved wages, benefits, and working conditions are not met by the end of the current contract this week.
With Costco’s revenue soaring to $254 billion and net profits burgeoning by 135% since 2018, the union asserts that employees deserve a fair share of the success they help generate.
General President Sean M. O’Brien of the Teamsters has been vocal, stating, “Our members have spoken loud and clear — Costco must deliver a fair contract, or they’ll be held accountable.”
Costco’s executives face intense pressure to balance their interests with those of their valued workforce as the deadline approaches.
With practice pickets organized nationwide, members of the Teamsters Union remain steadfast in their readiness to strike.
They signal that they will not work a day beyond the contract’s expiration without a historic, industry-leading agreement.
Bryan Fields, a Costco worker from Baltimore, added, “We are the backbone of Costco. No one wants to strike.”
Fields further elaborated. “Let’s bypass all of that and just do what they promise in their code of conduct, which is ‘take care of employees.'”
The sentiment across the employee base is one of frustration at prolonged negotiations, which have been underway since August without yielding significant outcomes.
The strike risks disrupting services across 897 Costco warehouses, including 617 in the United States, causing potential headaches for an estimated 100 million Costco members.
Consumers may face store closures or inadequate staff, inconveniencing everyday shoppers.
Given the scope of the union’s influence, which extends across sectors with previous walkouts involving companies like Amazon and Starbucks, this is more than just a retail issue; it is emblematic of broader worker dissatisfaction.
The Teamsters’ demands include increased seniority pay, paid family leave, bereavement policies, and robust protections against surveillance.
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