‘This is corporate thievery’: Teamsters file wage theft complaint against Costco

Teamsters Local 174 has filed multiple complaints with the Washington State Department of Labor and Industries (L&I), alleging that Costco has blatantly refused to pay its fleet drivers.

A group of 150 drivers in Sumner claimed the retail giant has “yet to pay a cent” following the recent collective bargaining agreement between the two parties.

Teamsters claim Costco wage theft

The 150 drivers made history as the first group of Costco distribution drivers to join the Teamsters and ratified their first contract with Costco in April.

The new agreement delivered substantial wage increases, pensions, strengthened seniority rights, and ended at-will employment. However, Teamsters claimed that months later, Costco has not paid and has “shown no signs of doing so unless forced.”

The Teamsters represent over 1.3 million workers nationwide as part of its union, including more than 18,000 Costco employees, according to Costco Teamsters.

“Costco likes to pretend it’s a good employer. That’s a lie,” Rick Hicks, the secretary-treasurer of Local 174, said. “The company has no excuse for withholding wages. It’s wage theft, plain and simple, and we’re not backing down until every worker is paid in full.”

In 2024, Costco generated more than $254 billion in revenue, achieving a record $7.4 billion in profit. The Teamsters union is claiming that Costco is refusing to meet its most basic obligations to its workers.

Costco’s total number of employees was 333,000 in 2024, an increase of 17,000 since 2023, representing a 5.38% year-over-year growth, according to BullFincher.

“This is corporate thievery, plain and simple—and Costco’s executives are the crooks,” said Tom Erickson, Director of the Teamsters Warehouse Division. “They’ve made a calculated decision to steal from our members while padding their own profits.”

The Teamsters demand that Costco immediately comply with the contract signed in April, pay all retroactive wages, and stop stalling.

“If Costco wants a fight, they’ve got one,” Erickson said. “We’re not going away, and we’re not letting up until every last dollar is in our members’ hands.”

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