New York Apple retail union organizers are asking for $30 an hour
Apple workers who are attempting to organize a union at the company's Grand Central Terminal retail store in New York City are asking to be paid at least $30 hour per hour, along with other benefits.
Grand Central Terminal
The workers first began to organize earlier in 2022. On April 16, the group started to gain momentum, taking steps that would result in it being the first Apple retail outlet to unionize.
On Monday, Fruit Stand Workers United published their first website, laying out their request for increased wages and other benefits.
"For pay, we seek a minimum $30 for all workers, built up on a matrix based on role, tenure, and performance," the organizers wrote. "For benefits, we seek more robust changes, like increased tuition reimbursement, faster accrued and more vacation time, and better retirement options, including higher match rates for 401(k) and enrollment into pension plans."
Additionally, the workers asked for better health and safety standards, including research into security protocols, track dust, health effects from building materials, and noise pollution at Grand Central.
Apple employees can make anywhere from $17 to more than $30 per hour, depending on the market and their experience. New York City, where the retail store is located, is the most expensive city in the U.S. to live. Apple says that its minimum hourly rate starts at $20.
In a statement, Apple said that it offers "very strong compensation and benefits for full time and part time employees."
Back in February, Apple also began preparing to issue pay raises and other benefits to retail staffers as it sought to keep workers in an increasingly competitive labor market.
While the group may organize the first retail union at Apple, this is not the first time that Apple workers have attempted to organize. Past efforts have included "Apple Together" and its predecessor, #AppleToo, which both advocated for awareness of harassment, sexism, and other issues at the Cupertino tech giant.
Read on AppleInsider
Grand Central Terminal
The workers first began to organize earlier in 2022. On April 16, the group started to gain momentum, taking steps that would result in it being the first Apple retail outlet to unionize.
On Monday, Fruit Stand Workers United published their first website, laying out their request for increased wages and other benefits.
"For pay, we seek a minimum $30 for all workers, built up on a matrix based on role, tenure, and performance," the organizers wrote. "For benefits, we seek more robust changes, like increased tuition reimbursement, faster accrued and more vacation time, and better retirement options, including higher match rates for 401(k) and enrollment into pension plans."
Additionally, the workers asked for better health and safety standards, including research into security protocols, track dust, health effects from building materials, and noise pollution at Grand Central.
Apple employees can make anywhere from $17 to more than $30 per hour, depending on the market and their experience. New York City, where the retail store is located, is the most expensive city in the U.S. to live. Apple says that its minimum hourly rate starts at $20.
In a statement, Apple said that it offers "very strong compensation and benefits for full time and part time employees."
Back in February, Apple also began preparing to issue pay raises and other benefits to retail staffers as it sought to keep workers in an increasingly competitive labor market.
While the group may organize the first retail union at Apple, this is not the first time that Apple workers have attempted to organize. Past efforts have included "Apple Together" and its predecessor, #AppleToo, which both advocated for awareness of harassment, sexism, and other issues at the Cupertino tech giant.
Read on AppleInsider
Comments
so every employee gets $30 regardless, so what is my incentive for working hard? And what is the incentive for the slacker to work?
announces NYC stores will be online orders only with free over night shipping or in person pickup via Kiosks staffed with Robots .
Union people sorry!
$30/hr would certainly be too much to pay for the kind of critique being leveled here so far.
But somehow I think the entitled little pricks today would think that’s slave labor or something. They want $30/hr? For what? Standing around and showing people where the iPhone cases are? Trying to explain to some idiot why their iPad screen will cost money to repair because they dropped it and don't have AppleCare?
Apple should not accept this. Fight it , fire them, do what is needed
we are talking 3 days of training from hiring. To floor max if they already know how to use the product.
The Good Guys and Circuit City (adjusted to the Best Buy model of pushing extended warranties which pretty much forced all their good sales people to leave) had that same model for years. Where are they now? The idea of being "sold to" when going into the Apple Store would be a huge turn off for many. Take your draw against commission BS and leave it at car dealers.
$30/hr is not a whole lot for anyone working in NYC, even if they don't live there but must commute.
In the experience of one of those ASCs, the number of "sharks" working for the host stores is high, their sales staff turnover is high, none of the staff want to do the hard work (keeping the store presentable, managing stock, assisting customers with problems) and the majority are working their way through University. This same ASC says that Apple rarely hires people who are like the staff in the host stores.
Now the experience of the ASC in a host store vs an Apple Store is probably different, but I can't see it being too dissimilar given the labour laws. The US experience is odd, from my perspective.
Apple store employees are smart people because they grew up using Apple products, that makes every 18 year old a possible candidate to work at the apple store with short training,therefore this creates an advantage for Apple.