Apple Store in Maryland Makes History by Voting to Unionize

[Blackstick]

Unionization makes little sense for retail employees. These are high turnover entry-level positions.

Not necessarily. I worked at an Apple Store during and after college. Stayed 7 years and left as a full time Mac genius.

Obviously, I’ve since quadrupled my salary in corporate IT, but there’s a fair amount of ”long haulers” working in an Apple Store.

 

[sw1tcher]

Wasnt there a better union to join than the "Machinists" union?

Maybe they thought Machinists union is for Mac users 🤷‍♂️

 

[zilchfox]

Good job, team.

 

[Freeangel1]

WE as customers will just pay an even higher APPLE TAX for this Unionization of APPLE stores.

 

[tridley68]

Good move hopefully more employees will follow.

 

[DelayedGratificationGene]

As long as they behave. If not then shut down the store. It’s simply just not worth the hassle.

 

[DelayedGratificationGene]

Actually its fantastic move for all the staff and offers greater protections. Apple will not close down the store, as they would face multiple lawsuits and bad publicity. They are a Public company at the end of the day.

Lol…Apple can close down any store they want to

 

[DelayedGratificationGene]

It’s time for Apple to revisit their Retsil
Business Model and make some upgrades and strategic changes for example store automation.

 

[zilchfox]

Shut it down.

Labor unions built America.

 

[Orange Bat]

I’ve worked in jobs with unions and jobs without. Unions can be a real double edged sword in some situations. While they can help with arbitration in issues with an employer, they can make it impossible to negotiate a better salary. The employees may also me shocked because they could see their paychecks decrease in a negotiation. They may find themselves paying high union dues, higher insurance premiums, and retirement accounts. While that’s not all bad, for young people who may be working at Apple as a temporary stop on their career path, retirement and union dues are probably unwanted when they need to make rent, pay for gas, and buy groceries. (I’m in no way anti-union. I just think that some jobs need them, others don’t. Unions don’t always solve employee problems and create another layer of bureaucracy at a large company)

 

[mikethemartian]

Yeah, one dude I knew earned his 10 year plaque as a Genius, he really wasn't too thrilled about it.

Is it like in Bull Durham when “Crash” Davis says it is a dubious distinction to have the home run record in the minor leagues?

 

[sw1tcher]

Lol

Won’t Apple just shut the store down? 😂🙋‍♂️

Apple could do that. But if that were to happen, I'm sure the employees would go to the National Labor Relations Board and ask them to look into it. If the NLRB determines that Apple closed the store in retailiation, that would be a violation of federal labor law.

Discriminating against employees because of their union activities or sympathies (Section 8(a)(3)) | National Labor Relations Board

It is unlawful to discourage (or encourage) union activities or sympathies "by discrimination in regard to hire or tenure of employment or any term or condition of employment." For example, employers may not discharge, lay off, or discipline employees, or refuse to hire job applicants, because...

www.nlrb.gov

Section 8(a)(3) of the Act makes it an unfair labor practice for an employer, "by discrimination in regard to hire or tenure of employment or any term or condition of employment[,] to encourage or discourage membership in any labor organization." (An employer that violates Section 8(a)(3) also derivatively violates Section 8(a)(1).) For example, you may not:

• Close one of your facilities, if your motive is to chill unionism at any remaining facility and such an effect is reasonably foreseeable.

On the other hand, Apple could close all their retail locations and get away with that according to the ruling in Textile Workers Union v. Darlington Mfg. Co., 380 U.S. 263 (1965)

1. It is not an unfair labor practice for an employer to close his entire business, even if the closing is due to anti-union animus. Pp. 380 U. S. 269-274.



At least that's my understanding of it. 🤷‍♂️

 

[iPadified]

Why is this News? In my country, belonging to a union is nearly expected. However, the employers also form a “union” to negotiate the salaries with the respective workers union. It works, we get food on the table, safe workplaces, reasonable job security, there are plenty of room for individual salary negotiations and yet I recently heard my country was the best in the world to do business in but it takes two responsible parties for that.

 

[zilchfox]

Why is this News? In my country, belonging to a union is nearly expected. However, the employers also form a “union” to negotiate the salaries with the respective workers union. It works, we get food on the table, safe workplaces, reasonable job security, there are plenty of room for individual salary negotiations and yet I recently heard my country was the best in the world to do business in but it takes two responsible parties for that.

Good for you and your country, truly. It's news because it's in the U.S., where unions are often busted and largely don't exist much anymore.

 

[Dark_Omen]

Come Monday they’ll all be fired and replaced by the waiting list of those who want to be Apple employees.

Didn’t realize the working conditions were horrible? These people don’t even have to work overnights or behind a hot stove or in a mine or something similar. They sell electronics at a beautiful store.

 

[vipergts2207]

Unionization makes little sense for retail employees. These are high turnover entry-level positions.

Apparently the actual employees disagree with you.

 

[seek3r]

Good! Corps have been getting more and more powerful for decades, labor needs to rebalance that for people to get equitable wages, workplace safety, and benefits

 

[seek3r]

Apple paid the retail employees while the stories were closed by finding them other non-retail remote work to do. Not something they HAD to do, but just something they did. During the next closures, will the union pay their salaries? I guess it depends on their contract.

Let’s flip that script for a sec. Another way of saying what you just said is “Apple was under no obligation to take care of its staff during COV19, and while it did so the there’s no way for staff to be sure it will do so again in the future, but a union contract *can* guarantee that”

 

[seek3r]

WE as customers will just pay an even higher APPLE TAX for this Unionization of APPLE stores.

If it means the people selling the devices to me make more equitable wages and better working conditions I’m fine with that

 

[dumastudetto]

This is a mistake they will regret. Oh well. Apple tried to do the right thing.

 

[BurgDog]

First thing they will do is negotiate for better working conditions. Like a right to work from home like the corporate employees can. When they don't get that, they will, of course, go on strike for better working conditions. Lots of scabs who will want to work for Apple and cross the picket lines.

 

[44267547]

Why is this News?

Why shouldn’t it be news?

This is a huge deal, and employees futures rely on this merger.

 

[Naraxus]

Apple should close down the store and let all those clowns go. Unions are worthless.

 

[Naraxus]

Labor unions built America.

Lol. No

 

[ThirteenXIII]

curious how this may help them or makes sense for retail, I can see it for a craft or profession. I've worked retail and its not something I'd want to be in long term