Teamsters allege Costco intimidating workers to fight union efforts

The Teamsters are saying that upper management at Costco are trying to intimidate workers from being able to unionize.

“The lawless and outrageous behavior from Costco’s corporate executives will not be tolerated,” said Teamsters General President Sean O’Brien. “A company that claims to be ‘worker-friendly’ does not trample on federal labor law or contract rights to intimidate workers. Costco’s executives are showing their true colors – greedy, deceitful, and anti-worker. The company has sold its soul to Wall Street greed, and the Teamsters will bring the full weight of our union to hold it accountable.”

Negotiations for a new national agreement covering more than 18,000 Costco Teamsters nationwide are set to resume next week. Talks were suspended in August after Costco refused to remain neutral in their employees’ legally protected right to form a union or agree to a card check process, which would have allowed nonunion workers to join the Teamsters without facing threats or interference from the company.

“The Teamsters will not back down from this fight,” O’Brien said. “Costco’s blatant disregard for its obligations under federal law and our contract is not just illegal – it’s a shameless betrayal of every worker who built this company.”

According to the union, Costco, in the past two days, has expelled union representatives from stores, harassed and intimidated workers for wearing Teamsters buttons and attire, sent employees home, and even changed locks on union bulletin boards after the company removed literature and blocked the Teamsters from providing future updates.

“If Costco thinks it can intimidate the Teamsters or derail the bargaining process, they are sorely mistaken,” Teamsters Warehouse Division Director Tom Erickson said. “The company’s illegal actions will only strengthen our resolve to fight back. This is a war they will ultimately regret starting.”