Apple Atlanta workers drop bid for union vote next week, claiming intimidation
THE labour group trying to organise Apple Inc employees at an Atlanta store is withdrawing its request for an election, citing what it alleges are illegal union-busting tactics by the company.
The Communications Workers of America said it took the step “because Apple’s repeated violations of the National Labor Relations Act have made a free and fair election impossible,” according to an emailed statement Friday. The labour group also cited Covid-19 infections among staff at the store, located at the city’s Cumberland Mall, which it said “have raised concerns about the ability of eligible employees to vote and the safety of in-person voting.”
“Apple has conducted a systematic, sophisticated campaign to intimidate them and interfere with their right to form a union,” the CWA said. Under NLRB rules, a union’s choice to withdraw from an election generally means the vote is cancelled and the union would have to wait at least six months before petitioning again to represent the same group of workers.
The news represents a setback for the nascent efforts by several US unions to organise Apple’s retail stores. In addition to the push in Georgia, workers at stores in New York, Maryland and Kentucky have announced campaigns. The CWA -- a group that won elections this year among Verizon Communications retail employees, Activision Blizzard quality-assurance testers and subcontracted Google Fiber staff -- has said it’s been hearing from numerous Apple workers around the country.
When asked about the move, Apple said it was “fortunate to have incredible retail team members and we deeply value everything they bring to Apple.”
“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,” the Cupertino, California-based company said.
BT in your inbox
Start and end each day with the latest news stories and analyses delivered straight to your inbox.
In complaints filed last week with the National Labor Relations Board, the CWA accused Apple of violating federal labour law by forcing workers in Atlanta and New York City to attend “captive audience” meetings about unionisation.
Existing precedent allows companies to hold such meetings, but the labour board’s current general counsel, Jennifer Abruzzo, views them as inherently coercive and illegal. And she’s pursuing cases that could change the precedent.
Abruzzo, a former CWA attorney, is also trying to resurrect an old doctrine requiring employers to negotiate with a labour group if they have no “good faith doubt” that most employees support the union.
In its statement Friday, the CWA said that it had the support of an “overwhelming majority” of the Atlanta store’s workers when it petitioned in April for an election.
In the weeks since employees announced their organising efforts, Apple has moved to boost its pay and warned of potential negative consequences from unionisation. In a recent video message, Apple retail chief Deirdre O’Brien told employees, “We have a relationship that is based on an open and collaborative and direct engagement.” She said she worried about “what it would mean to put another organisation in the middle of our relationship.”
On Wednesday, the company told employees it would hike the minimum pay for its retail staff to $22.
The Apple store’s union organising committee vowed to press on. “We’re going to reset and strengthen our union,” according to an email sent to workers Friday. “We can share our experience with other stores to help them really prepare for what’s coming their way.”
The Atlanta workers had been slated to vote Jun 2 through Jun 4 in what would have been the first NLRB election at an Apple store. Major unions have sometimes been wary of such elections, because of the leeway federal law provides companies to aggressively campaign against organising.
But in recent months, unions pulled off stunning wins at an Amazon.com Inc. warehouse and dozens of Starbucks cafes across the country, emboldening workers and organisers elsewhere.
“We are dedicated to our work and to supporting each other,” Atlanta employee Derrick Bowles said in a statement shared by the union. “We are on this journey together. We want to create a truly democratic union that aligns with Apple’s public values.” BLOOMBERG
Share with us your feedback on BT's products and services
