Source: Hindustan Times Tech
On Friday, June 24, sources informed concerned reporters that Apple Inc has accepted the result of vote by the workers of a Maryland store to become Apple’s first US workers to join a union. Additionally, the source stated that the tech giant is set to bargain with the employees at the store.
Evidently, Apple is one of the many companies in the US whose staff have come forward to unionise. Along with it, other companies include Amazon Inc and Starbucks Corp in whose locations workforces voted to join a union in the past few months.
About two-thirds of the workers at Apple’s store at Towson, Maryland went on to organise as the Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (CORE). These employees voted to join a union in the third week of join, Notably, this is the first store out of the approximate 270 Apple outlets in the US to vote to unionise.
Moreover, this successful vote came following another planned union vote in Atlanta, Georgia, which was called off just last month. Reportedly, this was owing to the employees getting intimidated by executives at the time of planning. Other companies such as Amazon are also known to make use of anti-union tactics to try and push workers not to form unions.
The vote set to take place at the Maryland store:
The source confirmed the tech giant aims to take part in the bargaining process in ‘good faith.’ Reports suggest that the workers at the Towson outlet voted to join IAM- International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.
The eastern territory vice president of the union, David Sullivan gave a statement on the matter. He stated how the members are looking forward to ‘bargaining with Apple’ and getting hold of a ‘strong first contract’ that would yield positive changes for the employees of Apple, along with the ‘customers they are proud to serve.’ Clearly, companies across the country have reacted in varied ways when it came to employees trying to organise.
Recently, Amazon challenged the result of a plan to unionise at New York City warehouse. At the same time, Brad Smith, President at Microsoft stated this month the company would not resist efforts by workers to organise unions.
Not long ago, workers at an Apple outlet in Atlanta, Georgia canceled a vote to unionise citing intimidation from the companies. Alongside, workers at two more stores of iPhone maker in New York also considering unionisations currently.
