new York
Cnn
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About 18,000 teamsters are expected to hit 56 Costco stores in six states early on Saturday, unless a 11th hour agreement prevents what would be the largest retail strike in the history of the United States.
The talks resumed both parties on Thursday, but there was no update on negotiations. In addition to disagreements on wages and benefits, the union said that Costco had rejected the proposals dealing with the remuneration of seniority, paid family holidays, mourning policies, disease periods,, and backup against surveillance.
Costco team members represent 8% of 219,000 employees in 616 American stores, according to the company’s files. But a strike from what many workers would be important for the largely unmoticized sector. Statistics of the Labor Department show that less than 5% of retail workers are represented by unions. Most of these unionized retail workers are in the grocery store.
The locations of unionized stores, which have not been identified by the union or the company, are in California, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Virginia and Washington. Costco said on Friday that even if there was a strike and that unionized workers do not come to work, “all our locations will be open to business this weekend”, an indication that it intends to Use Non-Syndic management and staff.
Meanwhile, while teamsters represent only workers in a small fraction of Costco stores overall, the union is ready to set up stakes to a non -disclosed number of Costco stores on a national scale , even if the workers of these stores remain at work. Such a decision could considerably increase economic pressure on the company. Although there are only 18,000 teamsters in Costco, the union has more than a million US members, it can call for these other sticking lines.
Costco has the reputation of providing relatively good wages and benefits, in particular compared to other retail chains. His annual company deposited stipulates that “our philosophy is not to seek to minimize their salary and their benefits. We rather think that the achievement of our longer -term objectives to reduce employee renewal, increase productivity and improve employee satisfaction requires maintaining remuneration levels which are better than the average of the industry . »»
At the end of 2023, when the workers of a Costco store in Roanoke, Virginia, voted to join the teamsters, the existing and inbound CEOs of Costco, Craig Jelinek and Ron Vachris, published a letter to the employees.
“We are disappointed by Norfolk’s results,” said the letter. “We are not disappointed by our employees; We are disappointed with ourselves as managers and leaders. The fact that a majority of Norfolk employees thought they wanted or needed a union is a failure on our part. »»
“It was a fairly unique letter. I have never seen management take this position, “said CNN Jane Jacobs, Krinsky & Drogin Tarter lawyer, who generally represents employers in labor relations.
Teamsters have indicated that the solid financial results of Costco as an argument for an improved wages and benefits. Costco declared a record annual net income in the most recent financial year of $ 7.4 billion, up 17% compared to the previous year and almost double what he won in 2019 Before the Pandemic COVID-19. During a recent union rally held outside the annual Costco meeting, the members of the union held banners by reading: “Professional worker?” Prove it! and “Save the profits = registration contract”.
“Costco has two choices: respecting workers who made it successful or facing a national strike,” said team president Sean O’Brien in a statement earlier this month. “If Costco thinks they can exploit our members while raating billions, we will close them.”
Jacobs said that despite the differences at the negotiating table, there does not seem to be a big difference in total cost between their negotiation positions. Costco confirmed a Reuters report that he had recently sent a letter to all non -union store employees announcing that it increased the salary by one hour to $ 30.20 this year and another dollar per hour each of the two next years. The starting salary would be increased by 50 cents per hour to $ 20.
Jacobs said that a good strategy for any employer is to give non -unionized employees the same compensation and social benefits as unionized employees to remove the incentive to join the union. But she said it is possible that teamsters get on strike to press their current political advantage.
O’Brien got closer to President Donald Trump that many Labor leaders said Jacobs said. He spoke during the Republican National Convention and did not approve the Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.
Meanwhile, Costco refused to retreat from its efforts of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI), which became a goal of Trump’s attacks at the start of the new term. Jacobs said she could see Trump publicly take the team party if it was on strike at Costco to put pressure on the business.
“This union is created as well as any union to strike,” she said. “One thing we know about this administration is that they will reward their friends and punish their enemies.”
Michael Baker, retail analyst at DA Davidson, said that even if a strike at only 8% of Costco stores was probably not enough to prove a major financial blow for the company’s net profit, an agreement which is considered to be a Victory for the union could stimulate organizational efforts in other stores across the channel.
Katherine Black, partner of the retail segment of food, drugs and mass market at the Kearney management consulting firm, a strike would probably not last more than a week told CNN.
“It is very rare in this sector for a strike to last more than a few days,” she said. “The longest I know was one in Stop & Shop in 2019 which lasted 11 days.”
Last year, teamsters organized five days knock on Amazon It ended the day after Christmas. But unlike the situation of Costco, Amazon does not recognize the union as representing any of its workers and refused to negotiate, and even less accept conditions of contract. Amazon does not even recognize that many attackers, who are third -party delivery services and have exclusive contracts with the online retailer, are its employees.