Costco Wholesale’s annual shareholders meeting Thursday was set to the sounds of chanting workers and a blaring semi-truck air horn from the streets below the company’s Issaquah headquarters.
“Who are we? Teamsters. What do we want? A contract. When do we want it? Now. If we don’t get it? Shut them down,” shouted dozens of Costco Teamsters union members on Jan. 23.
Earlier this month, 85% of Costco Teamsters voted to authorize a strike if they don’t come to an agreement with Costco by Jan. 31, according to a Teamsters news release. The current contract, the Costco Teamsters National Master Agreement, went into effect Feb. 1, 2022, and covers more than 18,000 Costco workers…