Unionized store will strike against Apple

Apple is facing a new challenge in its business landscape: the vote in favor of the first authorized strike at one of its unionized stores, located in Towson, Maryland.

Although the actual strike has not yet been scheduled, both the union and the company are trying to reach agreement on some important issues, such as wages and the way work is affecting the personal lives of some of them. Know more!

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Strike can happen at any time

According to a press release from the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (IAM CORE), the authorization for a strike comes after more than a year of negotiations that the union says resulted in unsatisfactory results.

Central concerns include issues such as work-life balance, unpredictable scheduling practices that disrupt employees’ private lives, and salaries that do not keep up with the area’s cost of living.

The unionized store in Towson, Maryland, representing about 100 employees, became the first Apple Store to unionize in 2022. The vote concluded last weekend allows workers to go on strike at any time, although it has not yet a date has been set.

Although agreements in principle have been reached in 25 areas, these key issues cited above still remain unresolved. Apple issued a statement affirming its pride in providing industry-leading compensation and exceptional benefits to team members, pledging to engage with the union respectfully and in good faith.

Apple is accused of going against unionization

However, not all negotiations seem to follow this path, mainly because Apple does not seem to welcome the idea of ​​unionization. That same union had previously accused the company of illegally withholding new benefits, such as health care, and other privileges from Towson store workers, while keeping those bonuses for employees at stores that had not formed a union organization.

These allegations add to other recent labor disputes faced by Apple, including accusations of violating federal law with anti-union meetings in Atlanta and abusing employee rights in New York.

To date, the only other Apple store that has a union is the one in Oklahoma City. The New Jersey store, on the other hand, refused the proposal, which ended up generating an accusation from the Communications Workers of America (CWA) against Apple for irregular anti-union action.

Additionally, in Kansas City last year, there was another lawsuit against the company. In this case, 5 store employees were fired and the company was accused of sending them away after they showed interest in unionization. However, the United States National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) understood that there was not enough evidence to prove this relationship, and Apple revealed that they were fired for other reasons such as lateness and frequent absences.

Negotiations between Apple and IAM CORE are scheduled to resume on May 21. The union emphasizes that voting to strike represents the first step in demonstrating solidarity and sending a clear message to Apple. They say they are committed to ensuring tangible improvements that benefit all employees as discussions continue.

Source: goiam