Apple employees in Towson, Maryland sent a letter to CEO Tim Cook about the company unionizing, which is the third group of Apple employees to do so this year. One store in Atlanta will vote for unionization in June and another location in New York City is collecting signatures. Employees are exploring potential unionization campaigns, but have not made any public announcements yet.
There is an old saying about how you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. This phrase is often used when someone tries to change something that doesn’t need to be changed; or when it is attempted to change someone into being more inventive or competitive, which they are not used to. The idea behind this proverb speaks of a person who stubbornly resists adopting new things. The company Apple reciently used Littler Mendelson, a law firm specializing in Unions, which was seen as a plan to stop unions from forming in Applecore
The Towson store says they have the support of around 65% of employees, meaning they have more support than required. Apple stores typically require signatures from 30% to hold an NLRB election, but a majority of workers must want the union in order for it to be successful. As with others who have gone public saying they are trying to unionize, this store complained about scheduling flexibility and safety concerns. Lagging pay rankles particularly because Apple has been doing well as the economy at large slows down.
The statement reads, “Apple is committed to being an equal opportunity employer with a diverse workforce. We provide equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees.”
Towson is planning to file paperwork with the NLRB later this month. Employees at this specific store are planning to unionize, which is often done by representing workers who work in aerospace and engineering at major corporations.
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