For better benefits, retail employees at multiple Apple Stores are promoting unionization. Although the tech giant has not officially denounced unionization, it has been using various tactics to discourage staff from casting their vote to unionize like an increase in pay, perks, and emotional value to “feel they were making the world a better place”.
Motherboard reports that Apple has internally shared “talking points” with store leaders to communicate the repercussions of joining a union to staff members. The document does not bar retail employees from voting for unionization but it does make it clear that their careers will be adversely affected if they vote to unionize.
Apple says retail employees will have “fewer opportunities” if they vote to unionize
Previously, a group of former and current Apple employees has formed a group called “Fruit Stand Workers United” and have initiated the process of unionizing retail employees at the Grand Central location to demand for $30 per hour wage, improved working conditions, leave, better retirement plans, and more.
Now, fearing that the wave of unionization could spread across Apple Stores across the U.S., the tech giant has provided “talking points” to its store leaders to tell workers that deciding in favor of unionization could result in “fewer opportunities, less flexibility” and compel the company to pay “less attention to merit” because when a union represents a team it impacts team’s unity and the company’s ability to resolve issues amicably. The points read:
Apple is a place where our connections with, and our care for, our teams creates a special culture. Everyone has an important role to play in that.
If a union were to come into our store we would be placing many of our interactions into the hands of a third party. We could lose some of our ability to engage directly with […] moment on many issues.
That can’t always happen when a union represents a store’s team members. In [illegible] union would actually speak for you on most issues related to work.
