In the past, the name Costco has been synonymous with high employee morale and quality of life. The company has been revered as a place to work due to its good pay, stock options and high focus on employee retention.
But leave it to unions to take that and flip it on its head.
Now, "eighteen thousand Costco Teamsters are preparing to strike if a 'fair contract offer' is not presented by the end of the month," according to a new report from Fox Business News.
Eighty-five percent of Costco Teamsters nationwide voted to authorize a strike, according to a Sunday press release. As final negotiations began on January 20, tensions rose with practice pickets held in California, Washington, and Long Island. Hundreds in San Diego are set to join a large practice picket by Thursday, the union said.
Teamsters General President Sean M. O’Brien commented: "From day one, we’ve told Costco that our members won’t work a day past January 31 without a historic, industry-leading agreement."
"Costco’s greedy executives have less than two weeks to do the right thing. If they refuse, they’ll have no one to blame but themselves when our members go on strike," he continued.
Bryan Fields, a Costco worker in Baltimore, added: "We are the backbone of Costco. We drive its success and generate its profits. We hope the company will step up and do right by us, but if they don’t, that’s on them. The company will be striking itself."
Costco's website says it "is often noted for being much more employee-focused than other Fortune 500 companies. By offering fair wages and top-notch benefits, the company has created a workplace culture that attracts positive, high-energy, talented employees."
