One of Apple's U.S. stores, located near Baltimore, voted to unionize, a first within the country, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) announced June 18. We've gathered articles on this news from SHRM Online and other media outlets.
Main Issues
The major issue driving the organizing vote was workers wanting to have a say in the way the store is run, said Christie Pridgen, a technical expert at the store and one of the organizers. "Compensation is important, considering the cost of living in general and inflation, but the bigger thing is having a say," she stated. "That was the most important thing to me." Workers having a say in hours and scheduling and being involved in establishing safety protocols during the pandemic were the big issues, Pridgen said. Apple declined to comment on the vote.
Growing Trend
The Towson, Md., store joins a growing trend in labor organizing among retailers, restaurants and tech companies. At Apple, employees of more than two dozen stores have recently voiced interest in unionizing, according to union leaders. However, earlier this month employees at an Apple store in Atlanta abandoned a planned election after union support lost steam following Apple's moves to increase wages and highlight company benefits.
Apple Statement
After workers in Atlanta filed a petition for a union election and before they abandoned the election, an Apple spokesman said the company offered strong benefits, including health...
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