Workers at an Apple (AAPL) store in Maryland voted over the weekend to join a union.
The vote marks the first time that an Apple store in the U.S. has chosen to unionize and is
viewed as a defeat for the tech giant, which has adamantly opposed unionization efforts.
The tally was 65 votes in favor and 33 opposed. Approximately 110 employees were eligible to
vote to join the “International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers.”
The National Labor Relations Board still needs to certify the votes, which could take a week.
Apple will be required to bargain with the union over working conditions after the vote is
certified.
Workers at the Maryland location are seeking more input about pay and working conditions, like
how the store handles Covid-19 safety protocols and other operations. The store, located in
Towson, Maryland, isn’t one of Apple’s flagship stores in a high-traffic area. It’s a smaller
location situated inside a shopping mall.
Still, some analysts say the vote at the Apple store in Maryland could prompt workers at the
company’s other retail locations to also unionize.
The Towson store is one of several Apple locations that have publicly announced union drives
in recent months. Two high-traffic stores in New York City have said that they plan to unionize
but have yet to advance to the stage of holding a vote.
Apple says that its retail employees in America earn at least $22 U.S. per hour. Apple’s stock is
down 28% year to date at $131.56 U.S. per share.
