Posts tagged Costco
Commentary: The tough fight to unionize Amazon
March 18, 2025 // Unionizing a gigantic 21st century warehouse with more than 4,000 workers is daunting. What economists call “the churn” of high worker turnover complicates solidarity-building. So does the heterogeneity of the work force at a place like RDU1 between its hip-hop princes, queer young Latinas and tractor-cap Trumpies along with migrants from more than thirty countries. The job’s grind makes mustering energy to raise labor’s flag tough too.
Thousands of Denver-area King Soopers grocery store workers go on strike
February 6, 2025 // UFCW Local 7 members voted by 96% last week to authorize the unfair labor practices strike. King Soopers, a chain owned by Kroger, with 121 stores in Colorado and Wyoming, has been negotiating a new contract since October. The current contract expired in January.
Costco, Teamsters, reach ‘tentative agreement’ likely averting strike as company’s DEI controversy rages on
February 3, 2025 // The Teamsters are accusing the grocery club of not sharing its record 2024 profits – which doubled since 2019 - with its workers and have claimed Costco has engaged in "illegal and reckless behavior," including kicking union reps out of stores, preventing employees from wearing Teamster buttons and changing the locks on union bulletin boards. Talks broke down in January when Costco refused to reach a card check agreement. Card checks would make it easier for workers to join unions by eliminating secret ballots. About 85% of Costco's unionized employees voted to authorize a strike.
Costco Increases Pay to Over $30 an Hour for Most Store Workers
January 30, 2025 // Workers at the bottom of the scale will get raises of 50 cents to $20, according to the memo. The changes apply to employees at non-union locations. Costco, which is based in Issaquah, Washington, declined to comment. The company and the union that represents thousands of its workers are in negotiations over a new collective bargaining contract. The current contract is set to expire on Friday, and Costco Teamsters — which represents less than 10% of the company’s roughly 219,000 employees in the US — has voted to authorize a strike, demanding better pay and benefits.
Costco’s unionized workers vote to authorize a strike
January 20, 2025 // Costco workers affiliated with the Teamsters union have voted in favor of going on strike. The strike will start if no deal is reached by the January 31 deadline. Teamsters president Sean O'Brien has pledged to win "the strongest contract in Costco's history."
Opinion: Better Capitalism Will Reduce The Need For Unions
January 17, 2025 // But now, slowly but surely, we see the pendulum starting to swing again. A new generation of corporate leaders increasingly recognize the downsides of shareholder primacy and the benefits of multi-stakeholder capitalism. Some companies are moving away from treating workers as replaceable widgets — as pure cost centers — and increasingly see them as the key to improving productivity and innovation, which are now the key drivers of long-term profit. Some notable examples in recent years include Delta Airlines, Home Depot, Costco, Best Buy, and JP Morgan Chase.
Costco rejects 98% of Teamsters’ demands
December 17, 2024 // With the current contract – ratified in October 2022 -- set to expire in 7 weeks, the union is negotiating for paid family leave, bereavement policies, sick time, safeguards against surveillance, and establishing critical language in the contract on seniority. If the company does not present a collective bargaining agreement before Jan. 31, Costco (COST) employees who are members of the union will go on strike.
Teamsters union reaches national contract with Costco
October 24, 2022 // The first-ever national agreement provides members with significant wage improvements over the next three years and a substantial increase in pension contributions by Costco, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters said in a statement. The contract, which was ratified by a vote of 72% of the membership, also provides for higher semi-annual bonuses and a more flexible attendance policy, alongside other workplace benefits.
Op-Ed: Why unions are striking — and winning more public support than in 50 years
November 4, 2021 // Workplace experts generally point to two reasons for this surge. First, after working so hard and often risking their lives during the pandemic, many workers believe that they deserve better pay and treatment. Second, American workers — especially long-underappreciated essential and low-wage workers — are suddenly feeling empowered because of today’s labor shortage.