United States: a second Apple store votes to unionise

Workers at a second US Apple store has very recently voted to unionise. The NLRB federal agency (National Labor Relations Board) announced the results of the 14 October vote cast by workers in the Oklahoma City store where 56 employees said yes to the CWA (Communications Workers of America) union, and 32 voted against. This outcome follows a first breakthrough victory for unions in June 2022 at the Towson Maryland outlet, when workers voted to organize under the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. “We believe the open, direct and collaborative relationship we have with our valued team members is the best way to provide an excellent experience for our customers, and for our teams,” Apple said in a statement in response before continuing, “We’re proud to provide our team members with strong compensation and exceptional benefits.” According to CWA Secretary-Treasurer Sara Steffens, the campaign since 2021 is starting to pay dividends, “Apple retail workers across the country (Ed note: 270 stores) will continue to organize, especially after this momentous victory,” she said. While the Oklahoma City teams appreciate their benefits (minimum wage of $22 per hour, stock awards, etc.), they have been lamenting the lack of transparency in terms of promotion and hiring decisions and they are counting on the CWA to bring about more. Apple’s management has announced that unionized employees will no longer automatically receive additional benefits provided by the company. Instead they will have to negotiate through their union with Apple as part of their collective agreement.