Maryland workers vote to unionize

After months of planning and organizing, the Maryland Apple Store became the first Apple retail store in the US to vote to unionize. Employees at the Apple Store in Towson voted to unionize today, with 65 votes in favor and 33 against.

Apple Store Union: background

Several US Apple Stores are in the process of unionizing. For its part, Apple has mapped out how this will affect the relationship between Apple management and retail employees.

In a video and memo distributed to the Apple Store last month, retail chief Deirdre O’Brien explained how a union could harm employees and lead to “less opportunity” and “less focus on merit.” O’Brien pointed out to employees that “you have the right to join a union, but you also have the right not to join a union.”

In May, Apple also indirectly responded to the call for unionization by announcing a significant pay increase for employees, increasing hourly workers’ starting pay by 45% to $22 an hour. The company has also made some changes to its work schedule to give retail employees more flexibility.

The first Apple Store alliance is here

Apple Store employees in Towson, Maryland voted to unionize, the New York Times reports. This is the first Apple Store to bring unions together, though about two dozen other stores are believed to be taking steps to do the same.

The results of the voting by Apple Store employees in Towson were announced on Saturday by the National Labor Relations Board. The Apple Store will join the International Association of Aerospace Engineers and Workers.

“I applaud the courage shown by CORE members at the Apple Store in Towson to achieve this historic victory,” said IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr. “They made a huge sacrifice for thousands of Apple employees around the world.” a nation that has given all its attention to these elections.”

Ahead of today’s vote, Apple Store employees in Towson described the company’s anti-union tactics as “disgusting.” The New York Times reports that Apple’s anti-union campaign consisted of “management telling workers unions once prohibited black employees from joining their ranks.”

Now that the Apple Store in Towson, Md. has voted to unionize, efforts at other stores are likely to gain momentum. Apple declined to comment. The National Labor Relations Board will review the results, after which Apple and the union will begin negotiations.

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