On Tuesday, May 3, Workers at an Apple store in Maryland has begun holding a union drive. This is the third store that launched the campaign, setting up a potential labor battle with Apple.
Apple Workers in Maryland Unionized
According to CNBC, the organizers at the Townson Mall near Baltimore, Maryland, have been coordinating with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers or IAMAW.
The group has signatures from more than 65% of employees who would be eligible to vote, according to a report from The Washington Post.
The group would organize as the Coalition of Organized Retail Employees, also called AppleCore. They notified Apple's CEO, Tim Cook, of their plans and their intention to file the paperwork with the National Labor Relations Board or NLRB in the next few days.
Worker activism has increased since the COVID-19 pandemic hit the United States in 2020, leading to a strained labor market. Workers have seized the moment to demand higher wages and improved benefits.
Also Read: Tim Cook: Apple Hybrid Work Setup to Resume Office Three Days a Week, Starting September
In April, the Apple retail store located in Cumberland Mall in Atlanta, Georgia, became the first to file for a union election.
The workers at Apple's flagship store in Grand Central Terminal in New York City are also taking steps to unionize.
AppleCore demands greater bargaining power over the COVID-19 precautions, pay, and work hours. The official said that while the tech giant's revenue has grown rapidly, the company has been slow to increase pay.
An Apple spokesperson reiterated an earlier statement given for prior unionization efforts in New York and Atlanta.
The earlier statement said that Apple would offer strong compensation and benefits for full-time and part-time employees, including tuition reimbursement, health care, new parental leave, paid family leave, annual stock grants, and other benefits.
Apple Workers Returning to the Office
The unionization news of Apple workers came after the tech giant announced that it will now welcome its employees back into the office after months of letting them work remotely, according to Fox News.
However, several employees are pushing back against Apple's plans to have them come back to the office, saying that the new hybrid plans will make the company "younger, whiter, and more male-dominated."
The group that calls itself "Apple Together" and comprises 200 employees released an open letter to the tech giant's executive team titled "Thoughts on Office-bound Work."
The group wrote that the employees and executives have a different vision of how the future of work in the company ought to be. They said that being forced to return to the office will just deplete both their time and resources.
They said that even though in-person collaboration was important for the creative process, it is not something that is needed weekly.
Apple Together said that the hybrid working pilot is one of the most inefficient ways to enable everyone to be in one room, should the need arise every now and then.
The group added that what is needed for creativity and excellent work is time for deep thought, but being in an office usually does not enable this, especially not many newer offices with open floor plans.
Related Article: Apple Hybrid Back to Office to Start Feb 1, 2022 | Few Allowed to Work at Home
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Written by Sophie Webster
