Big tech workers are continuing to unionize after the formation of the first Amazon union at a New York warehouse. Having begun the process of unionization, Apple employees in Atlanta, Georgia, may soon be the first of the company’s stores to form a U.S. union.
Employees at Apple’s Cumberland Mall location in Atlanta, including salespeople, technicians, creatives, and operations specialists, submitted their filing on Monday, according to Communications Workers of America (CWA), the union representing the workers. Roughly 70% of the group of about 100 workers signed cards indicating their interest in unionizing, far above the 30% required.
“We work hard at Apple because we really believe in the products and the company, and we want to make sure that every Apple worker is able to afford quality housing and basic living expenses,” said Elli Daniels, a product zone worker at Apple.
The retailer recently increased benefits for its full- and part-time retail workers.
“We are pleased to offer very strong compensation and benefits for full-time and part-time employees, including health care, tuition reimbursement, new parental leave, paid family leave, annual stock grants, and many other benefits,” an Apple spokesperson said in a statement to CNBC.
Full-time starting pay for retail workers at Apple is $20 an hour. The Bureau of Labor Statistics rates the average for all workers in the technology retail sector at $25.50 per hour.
The Atlanta employees have been working with the CWA to try and organize the workforce. The only remaining step is to have their application ratified by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB).
The Cumberland Mall organizers say they are focused on their store and local colleagues but hope their union drive can inspire other Apple workers at different locations.
“We’re hoping that going public, and they see that we’re doing this strictly out of love, and our power from organizing and forming our union, we hope that really influences them to say, ‘Hey, if they can do it, why can’t we?’” Daniels said.
Several Apple locations have reportedly been discussing unionization. The Apple Store at Grand Central Terminal in New York had been at the forefront of the unionization drive. However, the New York store now looks set to be beaten to the finish line by the Cumberland Mall location.
“We welcome the workers who are organizing at Apple and call on the company’s management to reject union-busting tactics so that they can vote without interference or intimidation,” said Ed Barlow, President of CWA Local 3204 in Atlanta. “These workers have been indispensable during the pandemic, and the high level of service and support they provide is critical to Apple’s success.”
