“Will Apple Unionize? Apple Store Employees Demand Higher Wages and Tips Authorization”

For more than 2 years, Apple has been confronted with a new trend in its Apple Stores in the United States: the unionization of its teams. Despite multiple attempts to dissuade and discourage American employees from unionizing, things are getting worse and demands for wage increases are ever increasing.

Will Apple give in?

In Towson, Maryland, Apple Store employees have engaged in a standoff with Apple to negotiate new benefits, salary increases of up to 10%, and the authorization of tips. According Bloombergthe relationship between Apple and the employees of this Apple Store would have become a little tense in recent weeks, employee representatives have been demanding a salary increase of 10% at a time when inflation is breaking records in the United States.

Another request is the authorization of tips, employees who receive a tip from a customer are forced to refuse, because it does not respect company rules. Something that is unbearable according to union employees, because many Apple Store visitors who buy Apple products want to leave a few dollars to the seller who knew how to advise them while they hesitated. The unions explained to Apple: “It will allow grateful customers to express their gratitude for a job well done without any obligation”.

As for the wage hike, unionized workers are demanding an increase in overtime pay on weekends and a doubling of pay for those working more than eight hours a day or more than 40 hours a week. Workers also want to be compensated plus generously when they work on holidays, receive a $1 per hour raise for taking a first aid course, receive up to 34 weeks of severance pay in the event of layoff, receive up to 45 days paid bereavement leave per year and receive more paid vacation days.

These claims are unlikely to be validated by Apple, however, the company tries to calm the tensions that can be generated in open to dialogue and by accepting some requests when these remain reasonable.

The Apple Store in Maryland is officially unionized since last summer, he joined other Apple Stores that also have unionized employees. Previously, this did not exist in the stores of the Californian giant, today this trend is spreading in more and more Apple Stores. 7 months ago, the Apple Store in Towson, Maryland had already talked about himApple’s head of retail, Deirdre O’Brien, had even made a public statement.