Apple Employees at Unionized Maryland Store Denied Latest Benefits Provided to Non-Union Workers

[MacRumors]

Apple does not plan to provide recently announced employee perks to workers at a Maryland store who have unionized, reports Bloomberg. Apple this week announced plans to offer employees additional funds for education and new health care features in some states, but unionized employees at the Towson, Maryland Apple Store will not receive these benefits.

Towson workers were told that the store would need to negotiate benefits with Apple through the union, which is something that Apple's head of retail, Deirdre O'Brien, warned employees about in anti-union messaging sent out in May.

"We have a relationship that is based on an open and collaborative and direct engagement," she said at the time. "Which I feel could fundamentally change if a store is represented by a union under a collective bargaining agreement."

Despite Apple's efforts, the Towson store unionized in June, becoming the first Apple retail location in the United States to do so. Bloomberg suggests that Apple's decision to withhold perks from the Towson store could dissuade other stores from unionizing, but it could also lead to further worker upset. Other companies like Starbucks that have been fighting unionization have also provided exclusive benefits at non-union stores.

Employees at non-union Apple retail locations are eligible for advanced tuition reimbursement at select colleges, a free Coursera membership, and in Connecticut, New York, Georgia, Washington, and New Jersey, employees have access to a health care plan that waives co-pays for Apple-approved doctors.

Apple has been continually improving benefits for retail workers in an effort to prevent unionization. Apple in February announced more paid sick days, more vacation days, and more parental leave, and in June, the company agreed to make employee schedules more flexible to prevent overworking.

The Towson, Maryland store is represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union and formal negotiations are set to begin with Apple soon.

Article Link: Apple Employees at Unionized Maryland Store Denied Latest Benefits Provided to Non-Union Workers

 

[icanhazapple]

The "benefits" offered here to non-union employees are peanuts. It's a straw dog to try and isolate stores that want to unionize.

The bigger the union, the stronger the bargaining power. Or Apple closes all retail stores outside of flagship downtown locations (which are insanely profitable).

The end game will have no in-between.

 

[dannyyankou]

Starbucks just got in trouble for doing this same thing. The national labor board will resolve this.

 

[thadoggfather]

any one in the camp that unions aren’t the answer, ‘poop or get off the pot’ but apple retail milks their employees too? it’s inexcusable considering how prideful they are of being ‘woke’ and how deep their pockets are. Yet they Can’t conjure up any compassion for their own and can’t find the funding. What an unexpected surprise! But it’s also retail you aren’t ever gonna be paid like a surgeon’s salary.

Even with a pay bump, inflation has severely outpaced raises and wages. The union camp generally voted for this- whether they admit it or not is besides the point - now enjoy the consequences

Thank goodness for no more mean tweets though. Let’s keep sending more and more of that taxpayer money overseas too for proxy wars. Who cares about Americans, right? Our leaders certainly don’t.

Why is it amidst all these “historic landmark” spending bills, citizens have seen zero ROI? Some people aren’t even remotely intellectually curious about that disparity

You will own nothing and you will be happy!

…And I would add to that you will vote for it over and over again too

 

[DFZD]

I love it when trillion dollar companies that charge $20 for a small cleaning cloth argue that paying their employees slightly more would put them in grave danger.

 

[Vazor]

any one in the camp that unions aren’t the answer, ‘poop or get off the pot’ but apple retail milks their employees too? it’s inexcusable considering how prideful they are of being ‘woke’ and how deep their pockets are. Yet they Can’t conjure up any compassion for their own and can’t find the funding. What an unexpected surprise! But it’s also retail you aren’t ever gonna be paid like a surgeon’s salary.

Even with a pay bump, inflation has severely outpaced raises and wages. The union camp generally voted for this- whether they admit it or not is besides the point - now enjoy the consequences

Thank goodness for no more mean tweets though. Let’s keep sending more and more of that taxpayer money overseas too for proxy wars. Who cares about Americans, right? Our leaders certainly don’t.

Apple is only woke when it benefits them.

 

[Vazor]

This should be illegal. I know for a fact it is here in the EU.

 

[akfgpuppet]

Amazon just got in trouble for doing this same thing. The national labor board will resolve this.

Not really, with out a union Apple can give and take away benefits as they see fit. With a union those have to be negotiated. Depending on how they’re set up, it might not be until a contract extension.

 

[frenchcamp49er]

So what’s the problem. They have their union bosses to try to get them that. They didn’t want to play by Apples rules so they got what they deserved. Now they’ll have to bend over for the union and hope they get something close to what the other employees get.

 

[frenchcamp49er]

This should be illegal. I know for a fact it is here in the EU.

Why?

 

[barkomatic]

It's amazing to see all the ways in which companies sometimes trick employees into turning against each other instead of focusing on the company. So now there are two classes of workers: Unionized, which will be punished and, Non-unionized who will get small rewards. The non-unionized employees should realize they are only getting their benefits as a result of an indirect effect of organizing at other stores.

 

[munpip214]

If it’s only been 4 months since they unionized, I don’t see why apple would automatically adjust their benefits right now. Contracts will need to be renegotiated, etc.

 

[kwijbo]

This should be illegal. I know for a fact it is here in the EU.

Its not illegal at all, its exactly what unionized employees signed up for. They are represented by a union, the union must negotiate with Apple for any and all changes to benefits/compensation.

 

[frenchcamp49er]

Starbucks just got in trouble for doing this same thing. The national labor board will resolve this.

You’re wrong. Further NLRB is worthless. Everything in a union shop is now negotiated.

 

[mystery hill]

Apple's head of retail, Deirdre O'Brien, warned employees about in anti-union messaging

Meanwhile, her total compensation for the year was a meagre $27 million.

 

[Mousse]

Apple currying favors with the quisling.😑

 

[NY Guitarist]

This is effectively punitive action with the intent to discourage union membership.

 

[0924487]

I love it when trillion dollar companies that charge $20 for a small cleaning cloth argue that paying their employees slightly more would put them in grave danger.

Because it's the investor return that counts. The profit belongs to the investors. It's not free money.

 

[Jimmdean]

This is effectively punitive action with the intent to discourage union membership.

That's really jumping to a conclusion. There are rules for how companies deal with unionized employees - you have to take the good with the bad.

It would be punitive for Apple to hold back those benefits during union negotiations though obviously. have to wait and see on that I guess...

 

[NervousFish2]

Not really, with out a union Apple can give and take away benefits as they see fit. With a union those have to be negotiated. Depending on how they’re set up, it might not be until a contract extension.

No, there is no legal obligation on Apple to do this. They're just being petty.

 

[Jimmdean]

No, there is no legal obligation on Apple to do this. They're just being petty.

That's ridiculous - you can't join a union and then negotiate your own extra benefits. No union would allow that - and then they would turn around and sue the company for trying to deal under the table.

 

[Picapau21]

Unions are there to try and protect the employee. The company is there to milk the employee for everything their worth. The world is bonkers. Apple makes billions yet is acting so selfishly.

 

[jimbobb24]

You would have to have a heart of stone not to laugh.

 

[macduke]

Apple: We're such a progressive company!

Also Apple: We're hostile to unions!

Honestly this makes me want to spend less money at Apple. I could seriously start going a lot longer between upgrades to start.

It's really important for as many employees as possible around the world to unionize ahead of the recession when people will be in much less of a position to do so do to layoffs, etc. Labor has been in more of a position of power in recent years and now with inflation companies need to stop raking in record profits and share the wealth. The buying power of the working class has tanked.

 

[Lord Hamsa]

I mean, that's kind of the deal, isn't it? If you sign up for collective bargaining, any changes to your compensation have to be negotiated though collective bargaining. You don't get to just pick and choose when the union gets involved, it's all or nothing.