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The clock is ticking for Costco and Teamsters to unite on a new contract

caption: Shoppers walk into a Costco store, Wednesday, March 3, 2021, in Tacoma, Wash. Costco Wholesale Corp. reports earnings results, Thursday, March 4, 2021.
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Shoppers walk into a Costco store, Wednesday, March 3, 2021, in Tacoma, Wash. Costco Wholesale Corp. reports earnings results, Thursday, March 4, 2021.

The clock is ticking for Issaquah-based Costco and the Teamsters Union to reach an agreement over a new contract for about 18,000 workers across the country.

The current contract expires Friday, Jan. 31.

Last week, 85% of Costco Teamsters voted to authorize a strike, if the company and union could not come to an agreement over a new contract by Thursday’s deadline.

In a press release published after the vote, Teamsters described the vote as a "direct result of the company's failure to bargain constructively and refusal to present a fair contract offer that reflects the company's record-breaking profits."

The International Brotherhood of Teamsters says that strike would impact workers nationwide, in states including Washington, California, and New York.

A spokesperson for Teamsters Local Union 174 says a strike would impact 150 drivers in Washington.

During a call with Costco shareholders last week, Costco President and CEO Ron Vachris said the company would negotiate in good faith with the union.

"We maintain good relationships with the Teamsters and amicably reached many collective bargaining agreements," Vachris said. "The current Teamsters leadership has chosen a different path."

Vachris underscored employee conditions and benefits — like Costco’s average wage of more than $30 an hour — and called them “superior” to other retail companies.

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