Apple employees in Maryland vote to authorize strike

Employees at an Apple store in a Baltimore suburb voted to authorize a strike on Saturday, setting up what could be the first work stoppage at any Apple store in the country.

Towson, Maryland, employees say the tech giant is not negotiating in good faith when negotiating a union contract.

The group of about 100 employees is organized under the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Organized Retail Employees Coalition (IAM CORE). The place was the first Apple store to form a union in 2022 from more than 270 retail locations nationwide.

“Today’s vote is the first step in demonstrating our solidarity and sends a clear message to Apple,” the union bargaining committee said in a statement. declaration Saturday. “The approval of the strike sanction vote highlights IAM CORE’s unwavering commitment to defending workers’ rights and well-being in the face of challenges. As discussions with Apple management continue, we remain committed to ensuring tangible improvements that benefit all employees.”

The date for a possible strike has not been announced. The union said the vote comes after more than a year of negotiations that resulted in “unsatisfactory results”, adding that a strike “highlights frustrations among workers over unresolved issues in the workplace”.

Workers’ demands center on lack of wages, unpredictable hours and concerns about a proper work-life balance.

Apple said the company provides “a great experience for our retail team members and empowers them to provide exceptional service to our customers,” in a statement. statement to The Washington Post. “The company will “engage with the union that represents our team in Towson with respect and good faith,” a spokesperson added.

The work activity comes amid a wave of strikes across the country in the last year. Work stoppages paralyzed the auto industry with a strike by Detroit’s “Big Three” automakers last year, and a record four-month strike by actors and writers halted TV and film production for months.

Workers at Starbucks stores and Amazon warehouses have also unionized, although they have faced strong resistance from the companies. Automobile production plans in the South have also moved toward joining unions as organized labor expands.

The next big union vote will take place at a Mercedes-Benz plant in Alabama this week, shortly after a Volkswagen plant in Tennessee voted to join the United Auto Workers last month.

The Hill has reached out to Apple for comment.

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