Costco workers make historic move to join union

Bill Wilson

Costco drivers in Sumner, Wash., have voted to join Teamsters Local 174.

The move marks the first time a group of workers at a Costco distribution center have unionized.

Wages, retirement, and a lack of seniority and grievance procedures are some of the reasons the drivers agreed to form a union.

“Costco isn’t the company it once was. The culture has shifted dramatically the past few years,” said Paul Lowrie, a three-year driver at the Costco distribution center. “Management told us they heard our concerns, but they weren’t listening. We were tired of being ignored.”

In December 2023, 200 Costco workers in Norfolk, Va., became the first group to win union representation at the Seattle-based company in over two decades. More than 18,000 Costco workers are now members of Teamsters, and the national contract expires Jan. 31, 2025.

“The historic vote [in Washington] means these drivers will be the first Costco distribution drivers in the country to be union members,” said Rick Hicks, secretary-treasurer of Local 174 and vice president of Teamsters Western Region International. “The importance of this simply cannot be overstated, as it will encourage other Costco drivers to follow the path forged by these brave and strong new Teamsters.”