Apple in hot water: Meetings held to prevent unionization
Apple has tried its best to keep retail store workers from unionization before. Latest reports show that the company still hasn't changed its mind and made store managers hold meetings with employees to "discuss the risks of unionization."
Managers at Apple's roughly 270 US retail locations have been holding staff meetings over the past two weeks to address the dangers of unionization and to give an update on negotiations between the business and the first unionized store, a facility in Towson, Maryland, says Mark Gurman.
Apple assigned store managers to hold meetings against unionization
According to the report of Bloomberg's Mark Gurman, Apple store managers have been holding meetings with retail workers to tell them the downsides of unionization. The company doesn't want labor inroads seen at companies like Amazon and Starbucks. During meetings, retail store managers discussed the risks of unionization and "provided a planned update on bargaining between the company and the first unionized store, a location in Towson, Maryland."
"The talks, held during gatherings known as Daily Downloads, followed a bit of a lull at Apple. Months ago, the company held Q&A and information sessions aimed at addressing unions, and its retail chief sent a video to staffers on the topic. Apple also withheld new benefits from unionized locations, drawing outcry from labor advocates," says Gurman.
It looks like the efforts have worked. So far, only two Apple retail stores have decided to unionize, stores in Towson and Oklahoma City. A great deal of work was being done on unionizing in Atlanta and St. Louis stores. However, these efforts have also come to an end as unionization supports have walked back from their efforts.
In one of the recent meetings, managers told workers that the union at Towson is requesting dues that amount to 1.5% of pay, and they are putting full-time workers ahead of part-timers.
"And they indicated that unions could make changes without employee permission, echoing comments from Apple retail chief Deirdre O'Brien last year. Managers also pointed to the Apple store in St. Louis, where workers dropped their unionization efforts last year and criticized union representatives for allegedly misleading them," Gurman continued.
In other words, Apple has assigned store managers to discourage other employees from unionizing. Let's see if other Apple stores will change their minds and join stores in Towson and Oklahoma City. The company recently announced that it will "streamline" some of its retail stores by parting ways with some of the employees.
Advertisement
“During meetings, retail store managers discussed the risks of unionization”
Sounds like a threat to me.
If only Americans could be humble enough to look at other countries as example where unionization has resulted in complete ruin for workers with mothballed factories and other production outlets they would have perhaps deterred somewhat. But for a nation and its people who still think the world revolves around them for some reason change always comes at the precipice.