Apple Store in Oklahoma City Becomes Second in U.S. to Unionize

[Macusercom]

I don't get why people are against unions. Here in Austria we have a collective agreement for most jobs.

Of course you can't make individual negotiations but is it really good to individually bargain benefits that could be essential? Is it really good to make individual complaints about how you're being treated if everyone wants to complain?

A union helps to put on a counter weight against the employer to not benefit few and screw over many. If you want to get the most individual benefits, you probably should be self-employed

 

[one more]

IMO the unions are good, as they prioritise the well-being of individual workers over savage capitalism’s model of maximal profits at all costs.

It is quite worrying, however, that even workers of the world’s richest tech company with widely declared pro-human ethos feel they have to unionise to get their needs met.

 

[Jackbequickly]

Unions ruin whatever they infest.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Hopefully the union can fight for better working conditions

This is great. Apple workers risk their lives everyday working in horrific conditions miles underground mining for iPhone precious materials while the big mean Tim Cook lords over them continually abusing them. Finally they will no longer be taken advantage of!

That’s what I think of whenever I read “poor working conditions”. It’s probably more like they want the tile made softer or the lighting to be less harsh or to not keep it as cold or bring back the free water bottles because they’re thirsty.

 

[one more]

Right now they're making less than the non-union employees and have less benefits, because Apple wasn't able to give them the benefits the others got.

Was not able to or decided not to?

 

[Unregistered 4U]

It is quite worrying, however, that even workers of the world’s richest tech company with widely declared pro-human ethos feel they have to unionise to get their needs met.

Anyone know what those needs are?

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Was not able to or decided not to?

I hope it was “decided not to”. I know, were I in a union, I wouldn’t want them to spend a minute on a Coursera subscription. Just give me the extra $33 a month and I’ll spend it how I like.

 

[jjudson]

The powers-that-be won't have to oppress us.

Apple store employees are oppressed???

It’s worse than I thought…

 

[Jackbequickly]

did the employees at Apple headquarters ever try to unionize?

LOL! They can’t even get them to come back to the office!

 

[XXPP]

Apple should close retail.

 

[Wildkraut]

Interesting how many corporate apple-polishers are in here, who don’t even hesitate to put human rights aside for an iPhone.

Good to see American employees fighting for their rights, go for it, more stores will join.

 

[boyarka]

Literally the entire western world: Ok, so we have unions for workers. Most work okay, some not so much. But in general it strenghtens the workers as the employers have their own union of employers and every 4 or 5 years the two sit down and hammer out a deal that's acceptable to both sides. Nothing special or exotic about it.

An employee, in the Americas, year of our Lord 2022, at The Apple Electronic Computer Co: Gee, mister! I wonder if I could join this union? Maybe get some of those western european employment rights I've heard so much about!

USA and/or Apple, in a manner of speaking: NOW LISTEN HERE YOU WORTHLESS COMMIE SACK OF S....

 

[anthdci]

Well done them, if this becomes more prominent in America then the workers might actually get basics like decent maternity leave and more than a few days holiday.

 

[Wildkraut]

Who speaks for the 32 that didn’t vote for the union, though?

These 32 lemmings probably couldn’t resist the extra paycheck Apple offered to boot human rights in general.
If Apple’s working conditions were better, they wouldn’t care for the Unionization at all, there is a reason why Apple is trying hard to avoid it.

Good to see Apple being hit from all sides around the world.
Miserable working conditions, anticompetitive behavior and customer spoon-feeding will cost them a fortune, it’s the only language they understand.

 

[scrapesleon]

Another store for apple to shut down because kids don’t know how business works

 

[one more]

Anyone know what those needs are?

We would need to ask the ones who voted to unionise to be sure.

 

[Nicole1980]

Apple should close retail.

They will, if and when retail no longer is advantageous to their business. But right now, I think retail stores give apple a great presence and are especially great when you have problems with a product. Sure you could do everything by mail, but sometimes the store techs are able to fix something in a few hours that otherwise would have to be sent out and would take at least 3 days of total time without the product.

 

[CapitalIdea]

No you can't,..and in fact if that occurred, Apple would find themselves in Court. You cannot simply discriminate based on whether an employee is in a Union.

So that means apple may have to operate this location even if it is running at a loss and subsidize people who are not bringing in money at the expense of everyone else.

 

[Blackstick]

did the employees at Apple headquarters ever try to unionize?

You don’t need a union when you’re a in demand hardware or software engineer that can find a job paying 10-30% more than Apple in 3 days time.

 

[tridley68]

Apple will just end up closing this store citing profit loss there is always a way around. Things Apple lawyers just need to have time to plan something

 

[opeter]

Such a sad state of our society.

It always fills me with admiration when I read something like this about the most advanced state in the world, the shining light of democracy.

 

[anthdci]

So that means apple may have to operate this location even if it is running at a loss and subsidize people who are not bringing in money at the expense of everyone else.

No it doesn't at all. If they want to close it they can, but they should give the now redundant workers some redundancy pay or try and transfer them to another nearby store if there is one. That is far better than them just telling people who work there and depend on that income to live, don't come back the job is gone.

 

[tridley68]

The only ones who benefit from unionization are the union leadership and the Democrat Party.

The rest are merely cogs in a machine…

Don't forget the so called extra money they think they are making will just go towards paying dues so they really are not gaining anything

 

[michaelsviews]

Americans are struggling and there’s no one left to defend them. They’re finally standing up for benefits and security. All companies have to do is offer something similar, and the unionizing will stop since it’s a form of protesting against capitalistic abuse.

No you can't,..and in fact if that occurred, Apple would find themselves in Court. You cannot simply discriminate based on whether an employee is in a Union.

Always amazed by some of the member comments on here at times. The talking points are out the 70s or something. It must be a generational age difference.

Hopefully the union can fight for better working conditions

What could possibly be wrong with the working conditions at an Apple Store next working at Sam's , Walmart, Dick's , Home Depot, Lowes and others.

American's are struggling? Is this based on what the top 3 channels are spewing?

Unions can be good and bad it all depends on the people heading up the Union. Not everyone wants too be unionized if you will. There just going along for fear of losing there job and don't understand how everything works with in a Unionized work place.

 

[ProfessionalFan]

So that means apple may have to operate this location even if it is running at a loss and subsidize people who are not bringing in money at the expense of everyone else.

As usual the armchair lawyers are likely guessing badly. Everyone on the internet thinks they are an expert in everything. But in reality, very few actually are.

I am not going to act like I know the answer, but it makes no sense logically to me that a company would be forced to keep a location open. I am going to continue to assume that Apple could close this store if they wanted to.