Apple workers vote to unionise at Maryland store, a first in US
By Team Newsable | First Published Jun 21, 2022, 4:30 PM ISTIn a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, the local employees, known as the Coalition of Organized Retail Employees, stated that they "have the backing of a substantial majority of our coworkers." "We do not do this to oppose or cause friction with our management," they stated.
Apple Inc employees in Maryland voted to become a union, making them the company's first retail employees to unionise in the United States. According to the union's website, more than 100 employees in Towson, near Baltimore, "overwhelmingly elected to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers."
In a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, the local employees, known as the Coalition of Organized Retail Employees, stated that they "have the backing of a substantial majority of our coworkers." "We do not do this to oppose or cause friction with our management," they stated.
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According to the union's statement, Apple retail workers in Towson, Maryland, voted 65-33 to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The vote could not be validated immediately by the National Labor Relations Board, which would have to certify the result.
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An Apple spokesman stated that the firm had "nothing to offer at this time."
Unionization attempts are gaining traction at certain major American firms, including Amazon.com Inc and Starbucks Corp. Apple employees in Atlanta who wanted to unionise backed down last month, citing intimidation.
Last year, some current and former Apple employees took to social media to criticise the company's working conditions, using the hashtag #AppleToo.
After decades of decrease in union membership in the United States, union organising in a number of industries has lately gained traction. Organizers have sought to build unions at corporations such as Amazon, Starbucks, outdoor store REI, and Alphabet, the parent company of Google.
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The unionisation of Apple stores comes against a backdrop of other labour organising efforts around the country, some of which have been refused.
Amazon workers in a New York City warehouse decided to unionise in April, marking the ecommerce giant's first successful U.S. organising campaign. Amazon workers at another Staten Island facility, on the other hand, decisively rejected a union bid last month.
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