Apple Holds Meeting With Retail Staff to Discuss Recent Unionization Activities

[Wanted797]

I wonder why Apple top executives are so busy telling their employees that unions are bad?

I must assume that unions in the US are very different than here in Europe. Here they have helped us with higher salaries, payed absent if you’re sick, parental leave and many more benefits.

Most Americans don’t even get leave entitlements. They’re backwards in many ways.

 

[smaffei]

I’m happy about the pro union mentality. In my experience this forum can skew conservative so I’m pleasantly surprised

And, that's a poor assumption. I'm pro union but lean conservative.

My mother was a unionized healthcare worker (was on the picket line a few times) and my father was a cop (FOP). I come from a union upbringing. But, I still believe that our government wastes too much money and am I pro law enforcement.

No one size fits all.

 

[steevn]

I just wish I could select which cards appear in Apple Pay. I want the ability to hide some cards, especially the Apple Cash card.

 

[steevn]

Because we in the US seem to believe that employers should be similar to slave owners who pay a wage. That is why so many people in the US have no issue with income inequality or with the pathetic leave many people receive on an annual basis or that the only way to get decent health care in the US is to find an employer with decent health benefits. Our culture has become geared around the mentality that employers are usually right and if the employees don't like it they should quit being lazy and better themselves, which ignores the fact that we basically have become a low wage service economy.

This is exactly right lol, don’t forget to throw in the companies and small business owners crying “nobody wants to work anymore” when no one applies for their $9/hr part time, no benefits, random hours schedule.

 

[Fred Zed]

That’s wonderful news. Wish Apple staff all the success in eventually becoming unionized.

 

[rhett7660]

Terrible.

I’ll be shopping elsewhere at most of these union shops popping up. It’ll just increase the prices for consumers while keeping the crappy employees from being fired.

Can’t wait for the union to do very little and see the many unhappy reports from the employees that were had by the snail oil salesmen.

While it isn't the be all end all, but this is the case with a lot of unions... across all facets of every industry that has a union.

It is one reason why I do not like them and I belong to one...

 

[TrancyGoose]

Terrible.

I’ll be shopping elsewhere at most of these union shops popping up. It’ll just increase the prices for consumers while keeping the crappy employees from being fired.

Can’t wait for the union to do very little and see the many unhappy reports from the employees that were had by the snail oil salesmen.

do you also think that earth is flat and believe in trickle down economics?

 

[Unami]

This is exactly right lol, don’t forget to throw in the companies and small business owners crying “nobody wants to work anymore” when no one applies for their $9/hr part time, no benefits, random hours schedule.

Good times for employees. I've been doing some interviews on that topic lately, and it seems that the attitude towards jobs has changed. There is a shortage on workers e.g. in restaurants or bakeries, and people looking for employment won't take any sh...-jobs with low wage and bad working hours any more. Providing a regular schedule and other incentives has become significantly more important for business owners since the pandemic. And that's a good thing, imho. Now let's talk about that 35h week again.

 

[ericwn]

I just wish I could select which cards appear in Apple Pay. I want the ability to hide some cards, especially the Apple Cash card.

How is this related to the topic?

 

[prizm]

These workers need union rights to cover their ability to open boxes and hand products to customers. Think of all the unjust paper cuts they're getting.

 

[Fabian90]

Worst working conditions? I mean, maybe malls ARE a little colder than they should be, but I wouldn’t call those BAD working conditions.

I don’t think you know what workers in the US are missing compared to Europe for example. Paid sick leave, lots of paid time off, paid parental leave and so much more.

 

[Fabian90]

Unfortunately, like everything, some unions are good for employees and others suck. We'll see. Could be a train wreck and just cost consumers more. Again, not sure.

For example, at Ford plants, workers screw around often since it's really hard to get fired on the line there. My good friend had a person on the line that basically wouldn't work. Took them 2 months to get the person fired. Person told them "thanks for the vacation...see you soon". 3 weeks later they ran into this person again as they were hired back. That is a union fail. They union fought and get them back in. My friend learned quickly that happen all the time. I assume that is why quality for Ford is an issue. But, then again, quality is an issue at Tesla at times too. Either you have unhappy and sometime overworked employees that won't do good work or happy employee because they don't have to work.

But, on the flip side, a friend of mine was being worked like crazy by UPS (70-80 hours) a week and no days off. Union stepped in and got the hours reduce. Union success.

I guess where I live the Apple employees must be drinking the great Apple koolaid as they seem happy. Maybe their family is being held hostage the back room. Or maybe depending the store, they line the job and environment. Some of the ones I talk to say they like going work.

Well if they hired an unqualified person, their HR department sucks.
If the person is unmotivated, maaaaybe it’s because people are often treated like ****.

Almost every human being seeks a purpose and acknowledgement. Workers not caring for their job is often a sign that not everything is going well in that workspace. People treated with respect and proper compensation usually don’t do the bare minimum.

 

[profcutter]

I don’t think you know what workers in the US are missing compared to Europe for example. Paid sick leave, lots of paid time off, paid parental leave and so much more.

I mean, that is the whole point of American exceptionalism, right? If we know we’re always the best at everything, we never see how far behind we’ve actually gotten. European workers get so many more benefits than we do and enjoy a work/life balance we couldn’t even imagine.

 

[steevn]

How is this related to the topic?

Lol it was meant for a different post, didn’t realize I was in the wrong area when typing.

 

[Mitochris]

Good for you. Sucks you give up half your paycheck though…US gov taking a third is ****** enough.

Oh come on. There are enough reports that when adding it all up, your own health insurance costs in the us, etc, then the difference isn’t that great anymore. The difference though is that as a European I am fine that my taxes go to some of the benefits mentioned above, while it seems in the US that everyone-for-them-selves mentality is favoured.
are there issues with unions and a union-based system? Of course, but claiming on the one hand that all politicians are bought by the industry and then hoping that politicians will protect us from modern slavery, is naïve, at best.

 

[TightLines]

A quick and broad brush type of statement - general in nature. Each location and retail outlet would be different to some extent… called a local union That may cover multiple stores in a geographic location.

My comment is: Go for it Apple Employee’s - don’t waiver, and don’t let Apple pull the smoke screens out. Apple’s executive levels has been heavily infiltrated by the Wall Street types. Unless there is a rise up within the ranks to push them out and back to the snake pits they slithered out of, they will ruin Apple and suck it dry. Apple employee’s - form your unions and be strong… don’t let the vampire squids prevent you for joining together and standing as one!

Apple will show its true colors very soon… are the PR created images of them being anti-corporate, protector of your rights and personal data be the correct image be what they really are; OR - the typical Wall Street driven greed driven entity using a high priced PR firm to keep them propped up on a public stage proclaiming they stand with the people of Apple?

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Apple Stores are not municipal governments with taxation powers.

Agreed, they’re not municipal governments, or groups of engineers, or groups of machinists, but it seems people only want to talk about non-retail unions when thinking about how unions could improve the “working conditions”. (which aren’t that horrible)

 

[edvj]

When McDonalds came to Denmark and wanted to avoid labor union contracts that were already in place for other restaurants - they were in trouble.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Even in the most expensive areas of the country, $25-30/hr would get these workers to a living wage. Of course the question is also, why the misdirection of looking at the extreme outliers? For the vast majority of the country, a wage quite south of those figures would get them a living wage. But I guess folks in Iowa, Alabama, and Ohio shouldn’t bother because employees in NYC and San Francisco need a higher wage than them to make a living wage.

I didn’t say anyone shouldn’t bother. I just said there’s NOT a long way between “living wage” and $45/hr in some areas. Those areas should be considered JUST as well as areas in Iowa, Alabama and Ohio. Again, unless your thinking is that unions should push for a living wage ONLY in places where the living wage is $25-30/hr.

I didn’t say anything about fast food or other unions on this point. I simply noted that retail employees are not as easily replaceable as you claim.

You said:

I still find local restaurants that are closed inside with only the drive-thru open because they don’t have enough employees. There’s never been a better time for all these “replaceable” employees to collectively bargain than now.

i.e. foodservice. How many Apple Stores have you seen with only drive-thru open? WalMart? That’s a big difference between foodservice and retail.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

I don’t think you know what workers in the US are missing compared to Europe for example. Paid sick leave, lots of paid time off, paid parental leave and so much more.

For Retail jobs? There’s a lot of comparing Apple retail jobs to anything from high skill professional work to life risking work. There ARE positions in the US that offer paid sick leave, paid time off, paid parental leave and more, but not usually retail jobs that don’t even require a high school education.

 

[edvj]

For Retail jobs? There’s a lot of comparing Apple retail jobs to anything from high skill professional work to life risking work. There ARE positions in the US that offer paid sick leave, paid time off, paid parental leave and more, but not usually retail jobs that don’t even require a high school education.

McDonald’s workers in Denmark get six weeks of paid vacation a year, life insurance, a year’s paid maternity leave and a pension plan. And like all Danes, universal medical insurance and paid sick leave.

 

[Fabian90]

For Retail jobs? There’s a lot of comparing Apple retail jobs to anything from high skill professional work to life risking work. There ARE positions in the US that offer paid sick leave, paid time off, paid parental leave and more, but not usually retail jobs that don’t even require a high school education.

Yeah just proved my point.

Here EVERYONE has those benefits. As it should be. People should be treated with respect regardless of their job or education.

 

[vipergts2207]

I didn’t say anyone shouldn’t bother. I just said there’s NOT a long way between “living wage” and $45/hr in some areas. Those areas should be considered JUST as well as areas in Iowa, Alabama and Ohio. Again, unless your thinking is that unions should push for a living wage ONLY in places where the living wage is $25-30/hr.

Show your math indicating $45/hour is the bar for a living wage.

You said:

i.e. foodservice. How many Apple Stores have you seen with only drive-thru open? WalMart? That’s a big difference between foodservice and retail.

Did you intentionally ignore the link I posted referencing a shortage of retail workers?

 

[A Hobo]

And yet it’s very uncommon that people has to take two jobs to make a decent living. Many people can even make a decent living on a part time job where I live.

Gonna let you in on a big secret. Don’t tell anyone else: That half of my paycheck the government takes is actually returned to us in some form or shape. They don’t just put into a big hole. Free hospitals and education for instance…

Shhh that’s OUR secret!
Turns out you can have a progressive tax and a health system. Who knew.

 

[Supermallet]

I hit my limit on dislikes for the day disagreeing with all the wannabe Gordon Geckos in this thread. I hope every last Apple Store unionizes. Power to the workers always.