We’ve seen some Apple Retail Stores seeking to unionize in recent years, especially after a store in Maryland became the first in the US to vote to unionize. Now the staff at Apple Short Hills in New Jersey has also petitioned to unionize.
Apple Short Hills in New Jersey wants to unionize
As reported by Bloomberg, the 104 employees of Apple Short Hills are being represented by the Communications Workers of America in the petition to unionize, which was filed with the National Labor Relations Board on Monday. This is the fifth Apple Store in the US that has voted to unionize, joining stores in Oklahoma City, the Maryland town of Towson, Atlanta, and St. Louis.
John Nagy, a member of the organizing committee, said in a statement that unionization is “the best way to ensure all Apple workers receive the respect, pay, benefits and working conditions we deserve.” Nagy also accused Apple of “violating workers’ rights across stores around the country” and says he hopes the company recognizes the opportunity to “stay on the cutting edge by taking a different approach.”
According to the unionization committee at Apple Short Hills in New Jersey, the group has asked Apple not to interfere in the efforts and to allow employees “to freely determine for themselves whether to form a union.” Apple responded by saying that it’s “dedicated to providing an excellent experience” for its customers and teams.
Apple tried to stop its stores from unionizing
Since the efforts of the first Apple Store to unionize, Apple has tried in many ways to prevent other stores from unionizing. The company has held meetings with retail employees to “discuss the risks of unionization” and discourage them from talking to union representatives.
Last year, the company had to agree to undergo a third-party audit of its labor practices after being accused of illegal anti-union practices. Currently, only two Apple Retail Stores in the US have successfully unionized, while three stores have unionized in the UK.
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