NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — Workers at the Costco located in Norfolk voted overwhelmingly to join Teamsters, America’s largest union.
The successful vote marks the first organizing victory at a Costco location in two decades.
“This was a big move for the workers,” said Nick Jones, an organizer for Teamster Local 822. “Traditionally, Costco has been looked upon as a fair and decent employer, but I guess over time with corporate interest some of the things weren’t going right in this store.”
The group of 238 workers are anticipating that joining Teamsters Local 822 will help address years of concerns and improve working conditions.
“During the pandemic, we were all looked at as essential workers … some companies went above and beyond to make sure people felt essential,” Jones said. “Now that the pandemic is over, companies are reverting back to do the do-more-for-less mentality.”
This campaign was all about standing together as a group and taking control over our well-being in our workplace,” said Damion Thomas, a front-end cashier at Costco who served on the organizing committee. “We can’t wait to be covered under a strong Teamster contact that will give us a real voice and bring real change to the job.”
Jones said now it’s time for change.
“Now the real work begins,” he said. “We have to sit down with the company and we have to negotiate a contract.”
There are currently over 18,000 Teamsters at Costco’s throughout the United States.
“Costco workers saw the new energy at the International under the O’Brien-Zuckerman administration, and they wanted in,” said James Wright, President of Local 822 and International vice president at-large. “I’d like to thank the Teamsters Warehouse Division and Organizing Department for their support throughout this campaign. Most of all, I want to thank the workers for standing strong. This campaign was all about boots on the ground. These workers understood the power that comes with being a Teamster.”
Workers at the Norfolk Costco cited the newly ratified national agreement, which boosts wages and pension contributions by the employer and provides members with higher semi-annual bonuses and a more flexible attendance policy.
“This historic victory will reverberate across the nation,” said Tom Erickson, director of the Teamsters Warehouse Division and Teamsters Central Region International vice president. “Every Costco worker in the U.S. needs to get on board and join the Teamsters. Together, as Teamsters, we’ll make sure Costco lives up to the worker-friendly image it likes to project to the public.”
According to the Teamsters website, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters was founded in 1903 and represents 1.3 million people in the U.S., Canada and Puerto Rico.
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