Apple hires labor-busting lawyers to fight employees' efforts to unionize

Posted:
in General Discussion
Apple has hired anti-union lawyers at Littler Mendelson as Apple retail employees across the country begin the process of unionizing.

Apple Cumberland Mall
Apple Cumberland Mall


In mid-April, workers at Apple Cumberland Mall in Atlanta, Georgia, began working with Communications Workers of America in an attempt to file for a union election. The proposed union would include 107 workers, with over 70% of workers signing cards of support.

To stave off organization efforts, Apple has tapped talent from Littler Mendelson, a San Francisco-based law firm that handles labor and employment litigation.

Littler is the same firm currently fighting Starbucks' employees' unionization efforts. The company also helped Mcdonald's avoid responsibility in 2014 when a case alleged that the company retaliated against workers who participated in the Fight for $15 campaign.

"From the start I've thought unionization was a good thing," an anonymous Apple retail employee told the Verge. "Pay is so unequal at the stores -- there are people who've been in roles for less time making more than people who've worked in those same roles for years. They position themselves as a company that's open to feedback but nobody acts on it. With a union backing the employees, they'll be more pressure on them to actually act on it."

Apple Cumberland Mall employees aren't the only ones asking for more, either. Apple Store employees across the United States have quietly pushed to organize, citing that wages have stagnated as the Cupertino tech giant continues to see record profits.

Apple employs more than 65,000 people in its retail workforce, including employees that sell, repair, and troubleshoot products and services. The Cupertino tech giant's retail footprint was responsible for 36% of the company's $366 billion in revenue in 2021.

Earlier in April, Apple workers attempting to organize a union at the company's Grand Central Terminal retail store in New York City asked to be paid at least $30 hour per hour, along with other benefits.

Read on AppleInsider
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 47
    seankillseankill Posts: 566member
    Gotta love the hypocrisy of these tech companies! 
    neoncatlordjohnwhorfinlkruppelijahgronndarkvadercrowleysflagelsandor
  • Reply 2 of 47
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,192member
    Could've bought twitter
    lordjohnwhorfinFileMakerFellerdewme
  • Reply 3 of 47
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    While I was an owner, and employer, in businesses, I would prefer Apple take some of those tens of billions they’re throwing away in stock buybacks, and give their employees better compensation in various ways. I don’t like the way things have been going. It used to be one of the best places to work, but it’s quickly becoming repressive. There’s no need for that, Apple can afford to do anything required to meet employee expectations.
    JWSCelijahgMplsPp-dogronndarkvaderbaconstangmuthuk_vanalingamsandorjcs2305
  • Reply 4 of 47
    robin huberrobin huber Posts: 3,949member
    We beat these guys when my Community College went union some years back. When will U.S. corps realize that partnering with their union is a win-win compared to perpetual haggling? Both union and management say they want what’s best for employees and customers; why not test it? This approach is common in Germany where unions have a seat on the board and work together. 
    fred1danoxronndarkvadercrowleybaconstangoss117sflagelIreneWFileMakerFeller
  • Reply 5 of 47
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    melgross said:
    While I was an owner, and employer, in businesses, I would prefer Apple take some of those tens of billions they’re throwing away in stock buybacks, and give their employees better compensation in various ways. I don’t like the way things have been going. It used to be one of the best places to work, but it’s quickly becoming repressive. There’s no need for that, Apple can afford to do anything required to meet employee expectations.
    And just how is working for Apple becoming “repressive”? All we know about the situation what we read in biased news media reports. All we’ve been presented with are one sided accounts of alleged employee incidents because that’s what gets clicks. As for employee expectations what is expected by retail floor sales clerks? $80K paychecks, 20 minute breaks every hour? What? Respect is a two way street. 
    iloveapplegearbloggerblog
  • Reply 6 of 47
    bonobobbonobob Posts: 382member
    asked to be paid at least $30 hour per hour
    Ooh, they want their pay accelerated!  They'll be rich in no time!
  • Reply 7 of 47
    MadbumMadbum Posts: 536member
    Why? I would just fire the trouble makers or cut their hours or shift to commission pay as I am sure none of the unionizers are any good
    iOS_Guy80mike1
  • Reply 8 of 47
    geekmeegeekmee Posts: 629member
    Nice corporate illusion while it lasted.
    I am not a lawyer, but I did take one year of labor law in college. The trend in corporations was pretty clear and undeniable.
    edited April 2022
  • Reply 9 of 47
    It’s going to be the Pinkerton’s vs the Molly Maguires all over again.
    danoxget serious
  • Reply 10 of 47
    JWSCJWSC Posts: 1,203member
    We beat these guys when my Community College went union some years back. When will U.S. corps realize that partnering with their union is a win-win compared to perpetual haggling? Both union and management say they want what’s best for employees and customers; why not test it? This approach is common in Germany where unions have a seat on the board and work together. 
    The German solution where the union has a seat on the BoD is brilliant.  It acknowledges that the company is not just about the profits and shareholders but also about the employees and the local communities.  Implementing that here in the U.S. poses both cultural and legal challenges.  The fiduciary responsibility to the shareholders enshrined in U.S. law would be tricky to navigate.  I'm sure it can be done.  But it would not be easy.  Perhaps someone knows of some examples.

    It is disappointing that Apple has allowed fruit-stand employee morale and sentiment to deteriorate so badly that a majority are ready to unionize.  Something has gone wrong.  Regardless of what one might think about unions, the employees are sending a loud and clear message to management.  Apple should listen.
    edited April 2022 p-dogdanoxronnFred257baconstangsandorrobin huberfreeassociate2FileMakerFeller
  • Reply 11 of 47
    Madbum said:
    Why? I would just fire the trouble makers or cut their hours or shift to commission pay as I am sure none of the unionizers are any good
    I’m neutral on unions because I think everyone on both sides has a right to pursue their own self interest. However interfering with the formation of a union has been against US federal law for a very long time.
    NYC362danoxronndarkvadercrowleybaconstangM68000get seriousFileMakerFeller
  • Reply 12 of 47
    lkrupp said:
    melgross said:
    While I was an owner, and employer, in businesses, I would prefer Apple take some of those tens of billions they’re throwing away in stock buybacks, and give their employees better compensation in various ways. I don’t like the way things have been going. It used to be one of the best places to work, but it’s quickly becoming repressive. There’s no need for that, Apple can afford to do anything required to meet employee expectations.
    And just how is working for Apple becoming “repressive”? All we know about the situation what we read in biased news media reports. All we’ve been presented with are one sided accounts of alleged employee incidents because that’s what gets clicks. As for employee expectations what is expected by retail floor sales clerks? $80K paychecks, 20 minute breaks every hour? What? Respect is a two way street. 

    Human beings create the wealth of corporations.  
    p-dogdanoxronndarkvadercrowleybaconstangmuthuk_vanalingamsandorjcs2305get serious
  • Reply 13 of 47
    melgross said:
    While I was an owner, and employer, in businesses, I would prefer Apple take some of those tens of billions they’re throwing away in stock buybacks, and give their employees better compensation in various ways. I don’t like the way things have been going. It used to be one of the best places to work, but it’s quickly becoming repressive. There’s no need for that, Apple can afford to do anything required to meet employee expectations.
    Why in the world would Apple or any company “do anything required to meet employee expectations”  this is not a valid reason for paying them more.  Because  a company can afford it doesn’t make it valid or reasonable.  Apple store employees are competing with employees at Best Buy, target etc.  they are retail employees and are justly compensated and are free to go to greener pastures.  The unions are using the tight labor market to entice the employees to go to the dark side.  Stores that unionize will regret it once the good labor market vanishes, which it will.  Unions impose  unreasonable work rules, protect the bad workers from being fired and the first hired last fired rule applies and is totally unfair to both sides. Unionize at your own peril.  
    JFC_PAmike1dewme
  • Reply 14 of 47
    MplsPMplsP Posts: 3,911member
    Maybe they should look at why people are unhappy rather than hiring lawyers to crush dissent
    p-dogdanoxronnbaconstangmuthuk_vanalingamsflagelsandormelgrossrobin huberget serious
  • Reply 15 of 47
    JFC_PAJFC_PA Posts: 932member
    Reasonable enough. It’s a very serious issue that needs to be thoroughly tested. Unions can help, but at other times they’ve destroyed industries: railroads come to mind: the corruption, ghost employees and feather bedding unions forced on the companies ultimately bankrupted them. 
    mike1
  • Reply 16 of 47
    danoxdanox Posts: 2,804member
    JWSC said:
    We beat these guys when my Community College went union some years back. When will U.S. corps realize that partnering with their union is a win-win compared to perpetual haggling? Both union and management say they want what’s best for employees and customers; why not test it? This approach is common in Germany where unions have a seat on the board and work together. 
    The German solution where the union has a seat on the BoD is brilliant.  It acknowledges that the company is not just about the profits and shareholders but also about the employees and the local communities.  Implementing that here in the U.S. poses both cultural and legal challenges.  The fiduciary responsibility to the shareholders enshrined in U.S. law would be tricky to navigate.  I'm sure it can be done.  But it would not be easy.  Perhaps someone knows of some examples.

    It is disappointing that Apple has allowed fruit-stand employee morale and sentiment to deteriorate so badly that a majority are ready to unionize.  Something has gone wrong.  Regardless of what one might think about unions, the employees are sending a loud and clear message to management.  Apple should listen.

    66,000 USA employees times 60,0000 dollars is only 3,960,000,000 billion dollars per year pocket change for Apple…..(almost 3-4 times less than one quarter’s dividend).
    baconstang
  • Reply 17 of 47
    MadbumMadbum Posts: 536member
    We beat these guys when my Community College went union some years back. When will U.S. corps realize that partnering with their union is a win-win compared to perpetual haggling? Both union and management say they want what’s best for employees and customers; why not test it? This approach is common in Germany where unions have a seat on the board and work together. 
    I will not let my future  be controlled by some a Jimmy Hoffa wanna be and be paid the same as Joe Slacker who is cousin of the Union leader

    Again, vase is different for Apple because these store workers are easily replaceable . I am not sure where Amazon can go to get extra warehouse workers or truckers but young people familiar with Apple products?

    another reason is how many Apple store workers do you run into that have been there for 10 years? Most are college students or people moving through , union won’t work.


    And again , easily replaceable work force and unions are a bad combination
    edited April 2022
  • Reply 18 of 47
    danoxdanox Posts: 2,804member
    JFC_PA said:
    Reasonable enough. It’s a very serious issue that needs to be thoroughly tested. Unions can help, but at other times they’ve destroyed industries: railroads come to mind: the corruption, ghost employees and feather bedding unions forced on the companies ultimately bankrupted them. 
    What are you smoking? No High Speed rail in America , or the sellout of the solar panel industry had nothing to do with a union, American CEO’s, MBA’S, and companies like Bain Capital have destroyed America, the housing industry is currently being attacked again, you will own nothing and be happy…..
    edited April 2022 ronnbaconstangsandorDAalsethget serious
  • Reply 19 of 47
    danoxdanox Posts: 2,804member

    To think the 40 hour work week as we know it in the United States is only about 108 years old…. 


     “On 5 January 1914 the Ford Motor Company took the radical step of doubling pay to $5 a day (adjusted for inflation: $129.55 as of 2020) and cut shifts from nine hours to eight, moves that were not popular with rival companies, although seeing the increase in Ford's productivity, and a significant increase in profit margin (from $30 million to $60 million in two years), most soon followed suit. 


     In the summer of 1915, amid increased labor demand for World War I, a series of strikes demanding the eight-hour day began in Bridgeport, Connecticut. They were so successful that they spread throughout the Northeast. The United States Adamson Act in 1916 established an eight-hour day, with additional pay for overtime, for railroad workers. This was the first federal law that regulated the hours of workers in private companies. The United States Supreme Court upheld the constitutionality of the Act in Wilson v. New, 243 U.S. 332 (1917). 


     The eight-hour day might have been realized for many working people in the US in 1937, when what became the Fair Labor Standards Act (29 U.S. Code Chapter 8) was first proposed under the New Deal. As enacted, the act applied to industries whose combined employment represented about twenty percent of the US labor force. In those industries, it set the maximum workweek at 40 hours, but provided that employees working beyond 40 hours a week would receive additional overtime bonus salaries.”


     Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eight-hour_day#United_States


    People forget Unions are the main reason for most of the benefits all workers get in the US. The fight started not long after 1776….

    ronnbaconstangsconosciutosandorget seriousFileMakerFeller
  • Reply 20 of 47
    MadbumMadbum Posts: 536member
    melgross said:
    While I was an owner, and employer, in businesses, I would prefer Apple take some of those tens of billions they’re throwing away in stock buybacks, and give their employees better compensation in various ways. I don’t like the way things have been going. It used to be one of the best places to work, but it’s quickly becoming repressive. There’s no need for that, Apple can afford to do anything required to meet employee expectations.
    Stock buybacks are a throw away? Do you have a Retirement account? Mutual funds?
    mike1
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