Teamsters Fight for Fair Agreement as January 31 Bargaining Deadline Looms
LONG ISLAND, N.Y., Jan. 15, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien, General Secretary-Treasurer Fred Zuckerman, Teamsters Warehouse Division Director Tom Erickson, and hundreds of Costco Teamsters rallied and engaged in a practice picket in Long Island, N.Y., as the final week of bargaining with the wholesale giant approaches.
“We are going to win the strongest collective bargaining agreement in the history of Costco,” O’Brien said. “Our members deserve nothing less. If we don’t have an acceptable contract by January 31, this company will face the full force of the Teamsters Union. Costco has two weeks to come to the table with a contract offer that honors the hard work and dedication of our members — or they will suffer the consequences of their inaction. If Costco fails to deliver, they’ll be striking themselves.”
The last round of negotiations begins Monday near Costco’s corporate headquarters in Issaquah, Washington. Costco Teamsters are demanding the strongest possible contract and are prepared to strike to secure it. The Costco Teamsters National Master Agreement expires on January 31, protecting more than 18,000 Teamsters.
“Today, Costco is a massive, multibillion-dollar corporation — one of the largest in the Fortune 500,” Zuckerman said. “And like too many companies, they’re putting profits over people. The Teamsters will not stand for it.”
Costco recently announced annual revenue of $254 billion and net profits of $7.4 billion — a 135 percent increase from $3.1 billion in 2018. Despite the record gains, Costco has yet to match its workers’ demands for fair wages and benefits.
“If Costco fails to present an acceptable agreement — one that reflects its record-breaking profits — we will hold them accountable,” Erickson said.
“We do not want to strike, but if Costco refuses to meet us at the bargaining table with the respect we deserve, we are ready to do whatever it takes,” said Lance Knowles, a Costco worker in New York and a member of Local 210. “We will not back down. We will not accept anything less than a contract that sets the standard in the retail industry.”
Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.3 million hardworking people in the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico. Visit Teamster.org for more information. Follow us on X @Teamsters and on Facebook at Facebook.com/teamsters
Contact:
Daniel Moskowitz, (770) 262-4971
dmoskowitz@teamster.org
SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters