Costco and Teamsters Reach Tentative Deal, Averting Strike

The agreement, impacting 18,000 unionized workers, will now be presented for a membership vote as details remain undisclosed.

The Teamsters union and Costco reached a tentative agreement late Friday, narrowly avoiding what would have been the largest retail strike in U.S. history.
The union represents 18,000 workers across six states, accounting for less than 10% of Costco's 617 U.S. stores, but the strike would have significantly impacted operations.
Key union demands included higher wages, better benefits, seniority pay, paid family leave, sick time, bereavement policies, and protection against surveillance.
Costco recently announced pay raises for non-union employees, with top-tier workers seeing increases to $30.20 per hour, rising to $32.20 by 2027, and entry-level wages increasing to $20 per hour.
The tentative agreement will be subject to a vote by union members, and full terms of the deal have not yet been disclosed.