Apple Store Employees File Petition to Unionize

​On April 20, Apple store employees in Atlanta filed a petition with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to unionize, the first Apple employees to do so. We've gathered articles on the news from SHRM Online and other media outlets.

Employees Want Higher Wages

Over 70 percent of the Cumberland Mall store's 107 eligible employees signed cards signifying interest in unionizing, according to an NLRB filing. More signatures have been added since the union drive went public, the organizers said. The organizers want higher wages and to have input on working conditions that deal with safety, such as store masking rules.

(CNBC)

NYC Workers Want at Least $30 an Hour

A union also is trying to organize Apple's Grand Central Terminal store in New York City. The union says if unionization is successful, it plans on pushing for a $30-an-hour minimum wage for the location's workers. The union also is seeking better education and retirement benefits.

(The Verge)

Company Statement

An Apple spokesman said the company offers strong benefits, including health care coverage, tuition reimbursement and paid family leave, and a minimum pay rate of $20 per hour for retail workers. "We are fortunate to have incredible retail team members, and we deeply value everything they bring to Apple," the spokesman said, but declined to comment on the union effort. The company would not say if it would recognize the union voluntarily.

(The New York Times)

Inflationary Pressures

Organizers say pay at the Atlanta store is below the living wage for the city. The union wants to raise base wages to $28 an hour, the minimum it says is needed for a single employee to afford a one-bedroom apartment without being burdened by rent. The union also wants larger raises to offset inflation, as well as greater profit sharing.

(Bloomberg)

Amazon Union Drive Inspired Apple Workers

Derrick Bowles, a worker on the organizing committee to unionize Apple's Cumberland Mall store, told CNBC that the drive was inspired by "what was happening in Bessemer, Ala., with the Amazon warehouse."

Although Amazon narrowly leads in the union vote in Bessemer, there will be an NLRB hearing to decide if any of the challenged ballots will be opened and counted, which might tip the balance in the union's favor.

(Business Insider) and (SHRM Online)