Apple reaches preliminary collective bargaining agreement with retail employees in Maryland, USA
Apple has reached a preliminary collective bargaining agreement with retail employees in Maryland, USA, marking the first such agreement for the company in its US stores. The agreement, subject to approval by around 85 employees, will raise wages by an average of 10% and maintain existing employee benefits. This marks the second store out of Apple's 270 stores in the US to establish a union. The International Association of Machinists (IAM) plans to expand its influence and organize other stores to join the union. The union stated that the gains made by Maryland counterparts in contract negotiations may inspire them to organize interest in other stores
According to VESYNC Finance APP, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) stated on Friday that Apple (AAPL.US) has reached a preliminary collective bargaining agreement with retail employees in Maryland, marking the first such agreement at the company's stores in the United States.
The agreement is subject to approval by about 85 employees in the bargaining unit, who will vote on August 6th. IAM stated that the agreement includes provisions regarding scheduling, layoffs, subcontracting, and discipline. The union mentioned that this three-year agreement will result in an average wage increase of 10% and maintain existing employee benefits.
It is understood that the Apple store in Maryland is the second out of approximately 270 stores in the United States where a union has been established. Both of these unions were formed in 2022, with a store in Oklahoma City joining the Communications Workers of America (CWA), which has been in contract negotiations since then.
IAM and CWA have been attempting to expand their presence to other Apple stores across the United States, but progress has been limited so far. The assessment of how Maryland counterparts fared in contract negotiations may either spark or dampen interest among employees to organize at other stores.
In an email statement, IAM's bargaining committee expressed plans to build on their success at store after store to expand their influence in Towson, Maryland. "We are empowering members to have a say in their future and taking a solid first step towards further gains."
In May of this year, employees at the Towson, Maryland store voted to authorize a strike, accusing Apple of refusing to engage in fair negotiations.
On Friday, Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment after normal business hours. The company stated that it is committed to "respectfully and genuinely" engaging with unions.
Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, unions in the United States have achieved many significant victories in organizing efforts, with Apple being one of them. Other affected workplaces include Microsoft's (MSFT.US) gaming studios, Amazon's (AMZN.US) warehouses, Volkswagen's (VWAGY.US) factories, Chipotle Mexican Grill's (CMG.US) restaurants, and hundreds of Starbucks (SBUX.US) coffee shops.
Most of these unions have yet to reach collective bargaining agreements