Apple Store workers in Oklahoma City vote to unionize

Apple store workers, who have been planning to unionize since at least earlier this year, are a long way from using encrypted chat to organize in secret. In June, an Apple store in Maryland became the first location in the US to unionize. Now another Oklahoma City retail location has voted to organize, making it the second Apple Store in the US to officially organize. Corresponding The Wall Street JournalThe group calls itself the Penn Square Labor Alliance because the store is located in the Penn Square Mall in Oklahoma City.

Around 100 employees are entitled to union membership in the store. Based on information released by the National Labor Relations Board, 56 of those workers voted to form a union, while 32 voted against. The group now plans to join the Communications Workers of America, which also represents workers from companies like AT&T and Verizon. Charity Lassiter, an employee at the Oklahoma City store and a member of the organizing committee, narrated The diary: “Now that we’ve won the election, we hope management will come to the table so we can work together to build a company that puts workers ahead of profits and encourages employees to succeed.”

Meanwhile, an Apple spokesperson told the publication in a statement, “We believe the open, direct, and collaborative relationship we have with our valued team members is the best way to deliver a great experience for our customers and our teams.” . We pride ourselves on offering strong compensation and exceptional benefits to our team members.”

Previous reports suggest that Apple has found ways to discourage workers from unionizing. Just a few days ago Bloomberg reports that the tech giant is offering new perks to its employees, such as additional healthcare benefits and funding for educational opportunities. However, the tech giant will reportedly withhold those benefits from unionized members, who will now have to negotiate for them. Back when talks about workers’ organizing efforts were heating up, the company was reportedly arming its managers with anti-union talking points. Employees officially accused the tech giant of union busting, and the NLRB found merit in claims that Apple monitored employees, restricted access to pro-union flyers and helped captured public meetings to deliver its anti-union messages. A hearing before an NLRB judge is scheduled to take place in December unless all parties agree on an agreement.