The looming threat of 18,000 Costco store employees heading to the picket lines appears less likely, with the Teamsters labor union announcing Saturday that it has reached a tentative agreement for a new contract with the grocery chain.

The Teamsters Union said a strike at 56 Costco membership club stores across six states was averted, one day after the wholesale club announced pay for non-union workers will rise to between $20 and $

Retailer Costco Wholesale will increase pay for most of its hourly U.S. store workers to more than $30, according to a memo sent to employees this week.

Wholesale retailer Costco told its employees that it would increase pay for most of its hourly store workers to more than $30.