Apple store employees in a Baltimore suburb voted to unionize by a nearly 2-to-1 margin Saturday, joining a growing push across U.S. retail, service, and tech industries to organize for greater workplace protections.
It's not yet clear whether the recent wave of unionizations represents a broader shift in U.S. labor. But experts say the current shortage of workers for hourly and low-wage jobs means employees have more power than they had historically, especially when unemployment is low.
"It's not that big a deal to lose one of these jobs because you can get another crummy job, said Ruth Milkman, labor scholar at the City University of New York.
The question is, what happens now?
The Apple retail workers in Towson, Maryland, voted 65-33 to seek entry into the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the union's announcement said. The National Labor Relations Board now has to certify the outcome. A spokesperson referred initial queries about the vote to the board's regional office, which was closed late Saturday. The board did not immediately respond.
Once the vote is certified, the union and Apple can begin negotiating a contract.
"Labor law in the United States is a long process. And so the fact that a single store negotiates or elects a union doesn't mean that there's a negotiated contract in the workplace. And we know in recent history that in many of these situations, parties are unable to come to terms on an initial contract," Michael Duff, a former NLRB lawyer, and professor at the University of Wyoming College of Law.
"The employer in the United States has an awful lot of rights to simply withdraw recognition at the end of the process. The employer can prove that it no longer supports a majority of the employees in the bargaining unit, Duff added.
This story is from the AppleMagazine #556 edition of AppleMagazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber ? Sign In
This story is from the AppleMagazine #556 edition of AppleMagazine.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
AUSTRALIA SHOULD DELAY SOCIAL MEDIA BAN FOR CHILDREN UNDER 16, BIG TECH SAYS
An advocate for major social media platforms told an Australian Senate committee that laws to ban children younger than 16 from the sites should be delayed until next year at least instead of being rushed through the Parliament.
APPLE AND GOOGLE FACE UK INVESTIGATION INTO MOBILE BROWSER DOMINANCE
Apple and Google aren’t giving consumers a genuine choice of mobile web browsers, a British watchdog said in a report that recommends they face an investigation under new U.K. digital rules taking effect next year.
THE PSYCHOLOGY OF RETIREMENT INCOME: FROM SAVING TO SPENDING
The narrative of a miserly, Scrooge-like figure hoarding his wealth for years instead of enjoying his retirement might seem unbelievable—but unfortunately, it isn’t relegated only to fiction. It’s a cold reality for many retirees.
'BUY NOW, PAY LATER' IS MORE POPULAR THAN EVER. IT CAN COST MORE THAN YOU THINK
More shoppers than ever are on track to use ‘buy now, pay later’ plans this holiday season, as the ability to spread out payments looks attractive at a time when Americans still feel the lingering effect of inflation and already have record-high credit card debt.
DIRECTV CALLS OFF ACQUISITION OF RIVAL DISH.POSSIBLY ENDING A YEARSLONG PURSUIT
DirecTV is calling off its planned acquisition of rival Dish after the offer was rejected by bond holders at that company.
IS 'GLICKED' THE NEW 'BARBENHEIMER'? 'WICKED' AND 'GLADIATOR II' COLLIDE IN THEATERS
“Barbenheimer” was a phenomenon impossible to manufacture. But, more than a year later, that hasn’t stopped people from trying to make “Glicked” — or even “Babyratu” — happen.
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THE PROPOSED MEASURES DESIGNED TO CURB GOOGLE'S SEARCH MONOPOLY
U.S. regulators are proposing aggressive measures to restore competition to the online search market after a federal judge ruled Google maintained an illegal monopoly for the last decade.
ELECTRIC CAR SALES ARE SLOWING IN THE US AND EUROPE AS BOTH FANS AND SKEPTICS SHARE CONCERNS
While sales of electric vehicles surge in China, adoption of more environmentally friendly vehicles is stumbling in the United States and Europe as carmakers and governments struggle to meet years-old promises about affordability and charging stations.
IT'S ALMOST TIME FOR SPOTIFY WRAPPED.WHEN CAN YOU EXPECT YOUR 2024 RECAP?
It’s almost that time of year: Spotify is gearing up to release its annual Wrapped, personalized recaps of users’ listening habits and year in audio.
RANSOMWARE ATTACK ON SOFTWARE SUPPLIER DISRUPTS OPERATIONS FOR STARBUCKS AND OTHER RETAILERS
A ransomware attack that hit a major software provider last week caused disruptions for a handful of companies over recent days, from Starbucks to U.K. grocery giant Morrisons.
