Months after Amazon and Starbucks employees formed unions, it seems that Apple witnessed a crack with workers at the Maryland store voting to organize one of their own.
The employees at Apple are set to vote on Wednesday for a union election in Towson, Maryland. The voting will occur at their store located in the vacant building where it’s currently headquartered.
The polls are open for voting between Wednesday and Saturday at selected times, with the count happening on Saturday evening.
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In a show of solidarity, organized labor has created AppleCORE (the Apple Coalition Of Organized Retail Employees). The International Association Of Machinists and Aerospace Workers trade union supports this new organization as well.
It’s not just the AppleCore organizers who have tried to get a union vote. In Atlanta, they pulled their petition in April but there is hope for employees at the Grand Central Terminal Station store in New York as workers have started signing to start a union.
In a move that surprised many, the AppleCORE group wrote an open letter to CEO Tim Cook detailing their decision was about them as workers gaining access rights they currently don’t have.
It’s not just about the pay, it is also because workers want a seat at their table, according to a worker who has been working for seven years. The worker-organizer spoke with the Washington Post.
“More money is nice,” he said. “But it’s really about agency.”
The company has reemphasized the benefits and compensation it offers retail workers in a statement, noting that they are “personally engaged” with their employees.
“We are fortunate to have incredible retail team members, and we deeply value everything they bring to Apple,” the statement wrote. “We are pleased to offer very strong compensation and benefits for full time and part time employees, including health care,tuition reimbursement, new parental leave, paid family leave, annual stock grants, and many other benefits.”
Apple announced that it will be raising the minimum wage for workers in America to $22 per hour.
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