Employees at first unionized Apple Store in U.S. vote to strike

Apple could soon be hit with its first U.S. work stoppage.

Employees at the tech giant’s store in Towson, Md., which was the first U.S. Apple store to unionize, voted on Saturday favor of authorizing a strike.  

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers’ Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (IAM CORE), which represents about 100 Apple employees at the Towson store, has not yet announced a date for the potential strike but said it would determine “a potential work stoppage date.”

The vote follows more than a year of negotiations with Apple management that yielded “unsatisfactory” outcomes, IAM CORE stated in a release. The main issues include “concerns over work-life balance, unpredictable scheduling practices disrupting personal lives and wages failing to align with the area’s cost of living,” according to IAM CORE.

“This vote today is the first step in demonstrating our solidarity and sends a clear message to Apple,” said members of the IAM CORE Negotiating Committee. “The passage of the strike sanction vote highlights IAM CORE’s unwavering commitment to advocating for the rights and well-being of workers in the face of challenges. As discussions with Apple management continue, we remain committed to securing tangible improvements that benefit all employees.” 

The Towson Apple Store was the first U.S. Apple Store to vote to unionize in June 2022. 

In a statement to CNN, Apple that it will “engage with the union representing our team in Towson respectfully and in good faith.”

“At Apple we work hard to provide an excellent experience for our retail team members and empower them to deliver exceptional service for our customers,” an Apple spokeswoman said, reported CNN. “We deeply value our team members and we’re proud to provide them with industry leading compensation and exceptional benefits.”

In related news, workers at Apple's store at the Short Hills Mall, in Short Hills, N.J., voted against unionizing, Bloomberg reported on Saturday. The union (the Communications Workers of America) alleged that Apple engaged in illegal union-busting activity and blamed the defeat on the Apple’s tactics.