Since Amazon and Starbucks employees have started forming unions, many other companies have seen a jump in fear. Apple may be next as workers at their Maryland store set to vote to form its own union.
In Towson, Maryland, Apple employees are going to meet to vote on Wednesday for a union election. The voting will occur in person at a vacant store where their workplace is located – a vacant store in the town center where their store is located.
The polls are open for voting between Wednesday and Saturday at selected times. On Saturday evening, the count will take place.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers trade union has announced that they are supporting the “Apple Coalition Of Organized Retail Employees” or AppleCORE.
In the last few months, workers at Apple stores around New York have been collecting signatures to unionize. The Grand Central Terminal store is no exception as it continues with its campaign for employee rights and representation.
In May, the AppleCORE group revealed they were taking a stand for worker’s rights in an open letter to Tim Cook.
The Washington Post reports that a worker-organizer has been working at the Towson store for seven years and he’s hopeful this will be an opportunity to get them a seat at the table.
“More money is nice,” he said. “But it’s really about agency.”
Apple has been very vocal about their commitment to maintaining a fair working environment for all employees, which is why they released this statement:
“We are fortunate to have incredible retail team members, and we deeply value everything they bring to Apple,” the statement wrote. “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.”
Apple has also announced that they will be raising the minimum wage for their workers in America to $22 per hour.
