No one can file a claim in the Costco child labor lawsuit right now, because no settlement fund or claim process exists yet. If a class is eventually certified, eligibility would be limited to Oregon Costco members who held a membership during the proposed class period, not Costco shoppers generally. The case is a proposed class action, not a finished settlement.
Two Portland-area Costco members, Leslie Brunker and Jeremy Parra, filed the suit against Costco Wholesale Corporation on October 1, 2026, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, captioned *Brunker v. Costco Wholesale Corp.*, No. 3:26-cv-02035, according to KIRO7.
Official resources:
- Read the official notice from Kiro7 — Use this primary source to verify the official announcement.
- Read the original report from Openclassactions — Use this primary source to review the complete report.
Table of Contents
- What the Lawsuit Actually Claims
- Who the Proposed Class Would Cover
- What the Plaintiffs Are Seeking
- Why There's No Claim Form Yet
- How a Similar Case Fared Before
- Frequently Asked Questions
What the Lawsuit Actually Claims
The complaint does not accuse Costco of employing child labor itself. Instead, it argues Costco sells and profits from products — including store-brand Kirkland Signature items — tied to child or forced labor overseas, while marketing those products as closely controlled, according to MyNorthwest. The plaintiffs point to Costco's supplier code of conduct, sustainability report, and membership materials, which represent that suppliers are barred from illegal child labor and that Costco traces and approves every production facility.
The suit alleges Costco cannot actually verify those promises, according to KIRO7. Specific products named in the complaint include cocoa sourced from West Africa, cashews from Brazil, Vietnam, and Guinea-Bissau, and shrimp processed in India. The complaint cross-references these to the U.S. Department of Labor's list of goods produced by child or forced labor, per KIRO7.
Who the Proposed Class Would Cover
A class-action tracking site lists the proposed class as Oregon Costco members who purchased or renewed a membership during a class period beginning October 1, 2025. That definition comes from third-party tracking rather than a court order, and no class has been certified, according to OpenClassActions.
That means the practical boundaries are narrow for now: Anyone outside Oregon, or whose Costco membership falls outside the alleged class period, would not be eligible even if a class is later certified, according to MyNorthwest. Eligibility, if it ever opens, is tied to this specific proposed class — not to Costco membership in general.
- Membership location: the proposed class is limited to Oregon members, not Costco shoppers nationwide.
- Timing: membership would need to have been purchased or renewed on or after October 1, 2025.
- Certification status: because no court has certified a class, these boundaries could still change before any claim process opens.
What the Plaintiffs Are Seeking
The plaintiffs bring claims under Oregon's Unlawful Trade Practices Act and for unjust enrichment. They are seeking $200 in statutory damages per eligible Oregon Costco member, along with punitive damages, refunds, and an injunction barring the practices described in the complaint, according to MyNorthwest.
Those figures describe what the lawsuit asks a court to award, not a confirmed payout. As of the filing, no court has ruled on the allegations and Costco had not publicly responded, so none of these amounts are guaranteed or available to claim yet, according to OpenClassActions.
Why There's No Claim Form Yet
A claim form only exists once a class is certified or a settlement is reached — neither has happened in this case. No official claim-filing process currently exists, according to OpenClassActions.
If that changes, the authoritative source would be the court-approved notice and claim procedure, tracked through the case's PACER docket (3:26-cv-02035, D. Ore.) — not third-party claims sites or coupon sites, per the docket referenced via KIRO7.
How a Similar Case Fared Before
This isn't the first time Costco has faced this type of theory. A 2016 lawsuit, *Sud v. Costco*, alleged Costco's shrimp supply chain involved slave labor and argued its supplier code of conduct was misleading.
A federal court dismissed that case, according to Fortune. That history doesn't determine the outcome of the current Oregon case, which rests on different statutory claims and a different factual record. It does mean readers watching this case should expect the same early-stage hurdles — motions to dismiss, briefing on class certification — before any claim process could open.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I file a claim in the Costco child labor lawsuit right now?
No. No class has been certified and no settlement exists, so there is no claim form or fund to file against, according to OpenClassActions.
Does this lawsuit cover Costco members outside Oregon?
No. The proposed class is limited to Oregon Costco members, according to MyNorthwest.
Is Costco accused of directly employing child laborers?
No. The suit alleges Costco sells products tied to child or forced labor in its supply chain while overstating its ability to verify supplier practices, according to MyNorthwest.
Where can I check for official updates on this case?
The case's PACER docket, 3:26-cv-02035 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon, is the authoritative source for filings and any future claim process.