Costco Accused of Labor Law Violations by Teamsters Union

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The International Brotherhood of Teamsters has filed charges against Costco alleging that the company violated workers’ rights, including firing union representatives and intimidating workers wearing Teamsters-affiliated attire.

The union said in a Dec. 4 statement that it filed unfair labor practice charges that same day, alleging Costco violated federal labor law and its existing national master agreement by attempting to disrupt collective bargaining efforts and undermine workers’ rights.

According to the union, the alleged violations happened within the past 48 hours, including the expulsion of union representatives from Costco stores, harassment and intimidation of workers wearing Teamsters-affiliated attire, sending employees home, and altering locks on union bulletin boards after removing literature, which the union says has prevented it from providing updates to workers.

A spokesperson for Costco didn’t respond to a request for comment from NTD, The Epoch Times’ sister media outlet.

The labor dispute is centered around negotiations for a new national master agreement, which covers more than 18,000 Costco employees represented by the Teamsters across the United States. The current contract is set to expire next month.

According to the union, contract negotiations were suspended in August when Costco allegedly refused to remain neutral regarding employees’ legally protected right to unionize, and declined to agree to a card check process.

Teamsters General President Sean O‘Brien said the company was “once celebrated for its ’pro-worker’ image” and alleged that it is now prioritizing profits over workers’ welfare, based on accusations made by union representatives.

According to the union’s statement, negotiations are set to resume next week.

The union was founded in 1903 and represents 1.3 million workers across the United States, Canada, and Puerto Rico.

This is not the first time Costco and the union have been at odds. A Sept. 4 Costco letter to its employees challenged the accuracy of a Teamsters press release addressing ongoing discussions for a contract covering about 150 drivers in Costco’s Sumner, Washington, depot.

In its letter, Costco stated that the Teamsters’ press release “inaccurately accused Costco of delays and threatened a possible future strike by the drivers.” The company asserted that discussions with the union had been “mostly cordial and respectful” and that a contract proposal hadn’t yet been presented to the drivers at that time.

Costco’s September letter also said the company is committed to treating unionized employees “just as well as the vast majority of our employees who are covered by our Costco Employee Agreement.”

“We’re all Costco employees,” the letter reads.

The letter indicated Costco’s intention to continue working with the union in a professional manner. The company said it will keep its employees updated about the status of ongoing discussions.