Apple retail employees in Atlanta to hold union election in June

Retail workers at Apple’s Cumberland Mall location in Atlanta will hold an in-person union election in June.

According to a union election notice filed by the National Labor Relations Board and reviewed by FOX Business, all regular full-time and part-time retail employees at the store who were employed during the payroll period ending April 24 will be eligible to vote from June 2 through June 4.

The employees, who are seeking representation from the Communications Workers of America, filed for the election with the NLRB in April after over 70% of the location’s more than 100 eligible employees signed union authorization cards. If the workers are successful, the Cumberland Mall store would become Apple's first unionized retail location.

APPLE EMPLOYEES SAY RETURNING TO THE OFFICE WILL MAKE COMPANY ‘YOUNGER, WHITER, MORE MALE-DOMINATED’

The employees are demanding cost of living adjustments and "real living wages," benefits and bonuses in-line with Apple’s corporate employees, more diverse management and more access to career development opportunities. 

They are also seeking support for their mental and physical health and for team members with disabilities or accessibility needs, better enforcement of policies to protect employees’ safety, opportunities for paid volunteer work and flexibility for civic participation and an influential role in decision-making to ensure the store’s daily operations match Apple’s publicly-stated values.

"Our vision is to create an environment where Apple’s retail workers are compensated fairly, heard genuinely, and treated justly, and to enrich the workplace by building a foundation of care and trust, both for ourselves and our customers," Apple Product Zone worker and union member Elli Daniels said in a statement. "At a company worth trillions, no worker should be struggling to live due to poor pay and lackluster benefits. Together, we can build an Apple that lives up to our shared values." 

EUROPEAN UNION MOVES FORWARD IN ANTITRUST CASE AGAINST APPLE

In addition to the Cumberland Mall store, Apple’s retail workers at Grand Central Terminal in New York City have started collecting signatures to file for a union election. At least 30% of the location's workers must sign the union cards in order to file an election petition with the NLRB.

The group, known as Fruit Stand Workers United, voted on Feb. 21 to affiliate with the Workers United labor union. They are seeking minimum pay of $30 per hour, 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. In addition, they are looking to have research conducted into security protocols with customer interactions, track dust, health effects from building materials and noise pollution at Grand Central.

Apple Store workers in Towson, Maryland, have also sent a letter to CEO Tim Cook notifying him of plans to file for a union election. The group, known as Apple Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (CORE), is partnering with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM).

"To be clear, the decision to form a union is about us as workers gaining access to rights that we do not currently have," the letter states. "We are respectfully asking that Apple follow the same neutrality requirements as laid out by the Supplier Code of Conduct under the section "Freedom of Association and Collective Bargaining" so that as employees we can obtain our rights to information and collective bargaining that the law affords us through unionization."

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ON FOX BUSINESS 

Apple has over 500 retail locations worldwide, including more than 270 in the U.S. alone. 

"We are fortunate to have incredible retail team members and we deeply value everything they bring to Apple," an Apple spokesperson told FOX Business in a statement. "We are pleased to offer very strong compensation and benefits for full-time and part-time employees, including health care, tuition reimbursement, new parental leave, paid family leave, annual stock grants and many other benefits."

According to the spokesperson, Apple has tens of thousands of retail workers who earn a minimum rate of $20 per hour.

The company posted a March quarter revenue record of $97.3 billion during the second quarter of 2022, up 9% year-over-year. Meanwhile, its earnings per share for the quarter rose to $1.52 from $1.40 a year earlier.