Costco raises wages to over $ 30 per hour for non-professional employees, leaving 18,000 union members waiting

On By Littum

Topline

Costco announced that all employees of his non-trade union businesses are getting a pay rise, just one day before employees in their 50 union places are set to go on strike, according to Bloomberg.

Key facts

Hourly pay for non-professional members at the top of Costco’s payroll scale gets an increase of $ 1 per hour to $ 30.20 per hour with a $ 1 per hour. Time-rise that comes each of the next two years afterwards.

More than half of Costco’s employees are at the top of its paycheck due to extremely low revenue.

Non-professional employees at the lower end of the payroll scale will receive an increase of $ 0.50 per year. Hour, which raises the starting salary to $ 20 per hour.

Further benefits will also be awarded, including an extra week’s holiday after 30 years and holidays for new workers in their first year.

The extra salary and benefits will affect over 200,000 of Costco’s non-professional employees as its 18,000 union members are waiting for a new contract.

Background

Costco has long been the chosen employer because of its industry -leading salary and benefits. This step will travel Costco a few notches higher and attract those seeking a retail career, rather than just using a retail job as a springboard.

Big number

Overall, the retailer is the country’s number one private employerThere supports approx. 16 million jobs directly at the end of last year. Median hourly wage for a retailer is just over $ 16 per hour, according to Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Crucial quote

“With these changes, we believe that our hourly wages and benefits will continue to surpass others in the retail industry,” wrote CEO Ron Vachris in a company’s memo announcing the changes.

Key

The company’s approx. 18,000 International Brotherhood of Teamsters Union members who work for approx. 50 of its 624 US Costco stores are not entitled to the same pay rise and added benefits. It will have to wait for a new contract with the current set to expire at midnight tonight. Earlier this month, Teamsters voted for strike if an agreement has not been reached. A Costco Team spokesman claimed it was due to the group’s pressure that the wage increases were awarded.

What we don’t know

We do not know when the salary increase will take effect for non-professional Costco employees. And we have no word yet about where contract negotiations stand. However, work -relational lawyer Jane Jacobs shared with me that the Costco message could signal that the company will meet the union requirements. “Strikes are an extremely expensive proposal for everyone involved. There are no winners in a strike, including the employees who lose wages. “

Additional reading

Costco raises wages to over $ 30 per hour for most store employees (Bloomberg, 1/31/2025)

Costco to raise paytime for most US workers for over $ 30 per hour (Reuters, 1/31/2025)

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