San Francisco: A majority of US Apple Store employees voted for the first union formation for a tech giant who has ever tried to discourage union attempts. Of the 110 employees at the Towson, Maryland shop, 65 voted in favor and 33 voted negative, according to a live count broadcast Saturday by the federal agency that oversees voting. Voting takes place after a group of employees called AppleCORE (a coalition of organized retail employees) campaigns for unionization.
“I did it in Towson! I won the union vote! Thanks to everyone who worked hard and everyone who supported me! Now we celebrate … tomorrow we will continue to organize “Apple CORE tweeted. They demand a say in determining wages, time and safety measures. Saturday results show that store employees voting from Wednesday need to form their own branch of the International Mechanics Aerospace Workers Association (IAM) Union after the agency proves the results. Means
Robert Martinez, Jr., President of IAM International, said he praised the “courage” of the workers. “They made a huge sacrifice to thousands of Apple employees across the country who were all looking at the election. Apple CEO Tim Cook told Tawson’s IAMCORE Apple full-time employee to respect the election results. Please proceed with your first contract as soon as possible, “he said in a statement.
“This victory shows the growing demand for unions in the Apple Store and various industries across the country.” This wasn’t the first time Apple Store employees tried to form a union, This was the first time I had voted. Deirdre O’Brien, Apple’s director of distribution and human resources, visited the store in May to talk to employees.
“First, I want to say that it’s your right to join the union, but it’s your right not to join the union,” O’Brien said in a voice released by Vice. “When faced with that decision, we encourage you to consult with a wide range of people and sources to understand what it’s like to work for Apple under a collective bargaining agreement.” He said the presence of an intermediary would complicate the relationship between Apple and its employees. The Silicon Valley giant told AFP that he “refrained from commenting” on the news.
Trade unions have been declining for decades and have won several iconic victories in the United States in recent months, with President Joe Biden expressing his support. After a union was formed in December at two Starbucks coffee shops in a city north of Buffalo, employees in more than 160 locations in the chain applied for similar votes. At Amazon, New York warehouse employees surprised everyone in early April by overwhelmingly voting to form the first online retail colossal statue union in the United States. However, the company wants to cancel the result and vote a second time. – AFP
