Apple is on the verge of entering its first-ever agreement with a stateside retail employee union, caving to demands from store workers who threatened to walk off the job in May. 

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers' Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (IAM CORE) said Friday it had reached a tentative three-year deal between Cook & Co and the roughly 85 employees the union represents at Apple's store in Towson, Maryland. 

"The true partnership between the IAM, IAM CORE, and Apple workers has led us to this historic moment," IAM eastern territory general vice president David Sullivan commented. "We're extremely proud to be the first union to take on this fight for Apple workers."

Apple retail employees in Towson voted to organize with IAM CORE in June, 2022. IAM CORE and Apple began negotiations in early 2023 for a collective bargaining contract, though made little progress, leading to Towson employees voting to authorize a strike in May this year.

The union that month said it couldn't come to an agreement with Apple to tackle concerns about work-life balance, unpredictable scheduling, and wages not matching the increased cost of living, all of which IAM CORE said have been ironed out since the strike was authorized - without employees ever needing to walk off the job.

The revised three-year contract between Apple and its Towson store workers includes scheduling improvements designed to protect work-life balance, average raises of 10 percent over the life of the contract, increased starting pay for 80 percent of job classifications, limits on the use of contract employees, a severance clause, and a more transparent disciplinary process. 

All existing benefits for Towson employees have been maintained in the fresh contract, which also includes an agreement with Apple to bargain with the union on future changes. The employees didn't get everything they wanted in the deal, we're told, tho the union described it as a good starting place. 

Employees at the store can vote to ratify the pact on August 6. 

A change in Apple's tactics?

Apple and labor unions haven't ever exactly been on good terms.

The US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) accused the iGiant of suppressing union organizing activities in a number of locations, primarily Atlanta, Kansas City and Houston, New York City, and Ohio; that last one even included the creation of a decoy labor group designed to stifle organizing efforts.  

The most recent Apple Store unionization attempt in Short Hills, New Jersey, failed to pass, leading to the Communication Workers of America (CWA) filing a complaint with the NLRB alleging suppression efforts by the iTitan there, too.

So when news comes out that Apple has agreed to recognize a union in America it's surprising to say the least.

An IAM CORE spokesperson told us that Apple's attitude - and its tone - changed not long after Towson employees authorized a strike, with the union suspecting it was a wakeup call for Cupertino. 

We're told the union hopes Apple employees at other retail locations (and perhaps technical workers as well) will see the results from Towson and be spurred into organizing action. The only other Apple Store to succeed at unionizing in the US so far is located in Oklahoma City. Employees there are still negotiating a contract after voting to join the CWA in October 2022. 

"Together, we can build on this success in store after store and grow the power IAM CORE has started here in Maryland," the IAM CORE negotiating committee said last week. 

We've contacted Apple and the CWA for further comment. ®

https://www.theregister.com//2024/07/30/union_apple_store/