About 18,000 Costco workers will go on strike beginning Feb. 1 if their union doesn’t reach a deal with the warehouse retailer, the union announced Sunday.
The Teamsters represent Costco workers in 56 warehouses across five states, including Washington, CNN reported. The 18,000-person strike would represent about 8 percent of Costco’s nationwide workforce.
A contract for the unionized workers expires on Jan. 31, and 85 percent of union members voted in favor of a strike after that deadline, according to the Teamsters.
“Our members have spoken loud and clear — Costco must deliver a fair contract, or they’ll be held accountable,” Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien said. “From day one, we’ve told Costco that our members won’t work a day past Jan. 31 without a historic, industry-leading agreement.”