Apple workers at Oklahoma City location vote to unionize
'It is our hope that management will come to the table so that we may collectively work towards building a company that prioritizes workers over profit,' statement reads
Apple Store employees at an Oklahoma City location became the second store in the nation to unionize, according to reports.
"We have been helping these workers to unionize through a project that we have called ‘Code CWA,’ which supports workers in tech and games," Beth Allen, the Communications Director for Communications Workers of America, told FOX 25.
The group calls itself the Penn Square Labor Alliance because the retail location is at Penn Square Mall. The employees made the vote to unionize Friday night.
"Now that we’ve won the election, it is our hope that management will come to the table so that we may collectively work towards building a company that prioritizes workers over profit, and encourages employees to thrive," Charity Lassiter, Technical expert and member of Apple Retail Union/CWA, said in a statement.
APPLE BOOSTING EMPLOYEE PERKS — EXCEPT FOR SOLE UNION SHOP: REPORT
TOWSON, MARYLAND - JUNE 20: Customers shop at The Apple Store at the Towson Town Center mall, the first of the company's retail locations in the U.S. where workers voted over the weekend to unionize, on June 20, 2022 in Towson, Maryland. Following a (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images / Getty Images)
Around 100 employees are eligible for union membership in the store, Engadget reports. Now that the majority voted to unionize, the next step would be to begin negotiating for a collective bargaining agreement.
The technology blog says previous reports indicated Apple was finding ways to discourage workers from unionizing.
APPLE WORKERS VOTE TO UNIONIZE AT MARYLAND STORE
Workers at the Towson Town Center Apple hold their new union T-shirts after their store employees decided to join the International Association of Machinists Union, Saturday, June 18, 2022. Theirs is the first Apple store in the U.S. to vote for unio (Barbara Haddock Taylor/The Baltimore Sun/Tribune News Service via Getty Images / Getty Images)
"Bloomberg reported that the tech giant is offering its employees new perks, such as additional health benefits and funding for educational opportunities. However, the tech giant will reportedly withhold those benefits from unionized members who'll now have to negotiate for them," the report reads.
The company reportedly gave managers anti-union talking points in the past.
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"We believe the open, direct and collaborative relationship we have with our valued team members is the best way to provide an excellent experience for our customers, and for our teams. We’re proud to provide our team members with strong compensation and exceptional benefits," an Apple spokesman said in a statement to The Wall Street Journal.