CORE Apple Store union negotiations hit a wall of Apple's design

AppleInsider

Following certification for unionization for the Apple Store at Towson Town Center, the union representing the employees says Apple is still not trying to negotiate in any meaningful way.

Apple Towson Town Center, Maryland

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) officially certified union election for more than 100 employees in the Towson Town Center Apple Store, which is located in Maryland, in 2022. Union negotiations with Apple started in early 2023, and, since then, the two sides have not been able to come to terms.

It has been heated for quite some time, even after the certification for unionization. The Coalition of Organized Retail Employees, or CORE, along with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), filed a labor complaint against Apple in November of 2022 stating Apple had misled unionized employees regarding health and education benefits.

Now, the official CORE Twitter account has taken to the social network to decry Apple's latest efforts at the negotiation table. Specifically, the account states that Apple does not wish "to bargain in good faith" with unionized workers, despite months of negotiations up to this point.

CORE alleges Apple has violated several laws under the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), including "regressive bargaining" and "Surface Bargaining." CORE alleges both of these instances related to the ongoing negotiations are violations of NLRA, and believe Apple should be held accountable.

Today @apple has taken the mask off and made it clear they do not wish to bargain in good faith. Moments ago, after months of negotiations, Apple took two egregious steps that can only be interpreted as an intentional moves to derail the progress we have made so far... 1/5

-- acoreunion (@acoreunion)

July 11, 2023

CORE also says Apple came back to the table with three proposals that were essentially "different ways of presenting us with Apple's current policies" as related to matters like bereavement, sick time, and unpaid leave.

As it stands, CORE has taken a step back to figure out how to counter Apple's latest proposals. In the meantime, the union appears to be waiting to see if Apple receives any repercussions for its latest negotiation tactics.

This is not the only union-related issues Apple has. The company continues to face union-busting allegations from the NLRB, which began in early 2023. That even got the attention of U.S. Congress just a few months later.

Around the same time, Apple also faced allegations of retribution related to firing five employees at one of its stores in Kansas City due to their efforts in union organizing. Apple has since denied these allegations.

Among the aforementioned work details at Towson Town Center, unionized employees at Towson Town Center are also seeking the ability to receive tips from customers, as well as pay raises.

Read on AppleInsider

jayweiss

Fine. They want tips then they get a lower hourly wage just like waiters. 

entropys

This article does not specify what those terms are. What are the three things the union wants that Apple isn’t cooperating on?
Suspect it is some kind of involvement in management decisions.

BiCC

jayweiss said:

Fine. They want tips then they get a lower hourly wage just like waiters. 

Apple should just buy the Union and fire every employee to set a precedence.  And shut down the store.  Buy the Entire mall and shut it down.  Tear the Mall to the ground and make an Apple farm. And make Apple pies for those that buy the new headset made by the most talented bakers in the world.  That's Bank.  Show them who's Boss by Manhandling them.

mikethemartian

BiCC said:

jayweiss said:

Fine. They want tips then they get a lower hourly wage just like waiters. 

Apple should just buy the Union and fire every employee to set a precedence.  And shut down the store.  Buy the Entire mall and shut it down.  Tear the Mall to the ground and make an Apple farm. And make Apple pies for those that buy the new headset made by the most talented bakers in the world.  That's Bank.  Show them who's Boss by Manhandling them.

"My name is Ozymandias, king of kings:
Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair!"

9secondkox2

While Apple cannot stop employees from unionizing, they most certainly CAN stand their ground. 

It’s funny when the mob boss starts crying about Apple not Bowing down to their demands. They don’t have to. 

The bottom line is that unions don’t matter unless an organization gives them power. 

And they’re just now waking up to the fact. Some tears are actually sweet. 

BiCC

Isn't it funny that the engineers who code, and the engineers who make and design, don't have blue hair and concentrate on work not unionizing.  They must be laughing hard.  Unions are there to protect against real life dangerous hazards, and child exploitation, and some form of quasi job security.  Apple must be thinking 'Damn we have to change up our hiring practices'.  We got ourselves a group of yo-yos. 

Hedware

If American waiters joined a union then they would get better wages and work conditions and health cover instead of being today’s US slaves being paid a pittance and grovelling about to get a bit of a tip and all the while their employers get tax breaks, and expensive lunches. 

williamh

Hedware said:

If American waiters joined a union then they would get better wages and work conditions and health cover instead of being today’s US slaves being paid a pittance and grovelling about to get a bit of a tip and all the while their employers get tax breaks, and expensive lunches. 

And if there was a waiters union, they wouldn't be forced to be waiters, groveling about, right?  I always thought being a waiter was voluntary.  Expensive lunches?  You do understand that the employer of a waiter is an owner of a restaurant?  That "expensive lunch" is out of their pocket.  More likely they're eating something that is not selling.  Owning a restaurant is a very risky business.

MplsP

Sounds like it’s time for the union to strike. 

beowulfschmidt

BiCC said:

jayweiss said:

Fine. They want tips then they get a lower hourly wage just like waiters. 

Apple should just buy the Union and fire every employee to set a precedence.  And shut down the store.  Buy the Entire mall and shut it down.  Tear the Mall to the ground and make an Apple farm. And make Apple pies for those that buy the new headset made by the most talented bakers in the world.  That's Bank.  Show them who's Boss by Manhandling them.

🤦‍♂️

As if any union, or any of a slew of government agencies, would actually approve such nonsense.

darelrex

jayweiss said:

Fine. They want tips then they get a lower hourly wage just like waiters. 

I don't care what the unions/govt. force Apple to do — I'm not tipping at the Apple Store.

headfull0wine

Apple said No to their demand for a combined 45 days per year of bereavement taken as they choose. And broaden the scope from immediate family, to include friends and pets. That means an employee can take 9 weeks of paid leave for the loss of a goldfish. EVERY YEAR!

chadbag

Without even seeing what the union has proposed I’m pretty sure Apple could make the same complaints about the union and lack of good faith. 

These workers need to realize that a union doesn’t grant them the right to the keys to the city, so to speak.   

As long as the law is being followed, Apple as the employer can offer any pay level and benefit they want.  If the workers and union don’t like it they can do the sensible thing and go find someone willing to hire them for what they are demanding, or they’(the union) can take the adversarial role and try and strike.   I have a feeling a store closing would be planned if that were to happen but that is just a guess.  

BiCC

Hedware said:

If American waiters joined a union then they would get better wages and work conditions and health cover instead of being today’s US slaves being paid a pittance and grovelling about to get a bit of a tip and all the while their employers get tax breaks, and expensive lunch.

Come on now waiting is pretty low scale, landscapers don't get tip and work much much harder.  They also beautify the landscape. For years.  Not for lunch.  A landscaper will take a waiter out to lunch.  Flip him over a table.  Manhandle him.  A waiter can easily Manhandle an retail employee.  This thread is amusing.

FileMakerFeller

It's always a concern when private negotiations get presented to the court of public opinion minus all of the context. Hard to tell where the majority of the blame lies.