Apple has come to a preliminary collective bargaining agreement with the first unionized company store in the United States. The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers’ Coalition of Organized Retail Employees, which represents the workers at a retail location in Maryland, revealed on Friday that a three-year deal has been struck with Apple. The deal includes a wage increase averaging at about 10% and various other benefits for the employees. The agreement is subject to approval by around 85 employees at the store situated in Towson, a Baltimore suburb, with a voting date set for August 6.
The union’s negotiating committee conveyed in a statement, “By reaching a tentative agreement with Apple, we are giving our members a voice in their futures and a strong first step toward further gains. Together, we can build on this success in store after store.” Apple has not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the deal.
This agreement follows the authorization of a strike by workers in May, who stated that over a year of discussions with management did not produce satisfactory results. The Maryland store is among only two Apple sites in the nation that have unionized. Employees at this location approved the union in June 2022, preceding workers at a second Apple site in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, who unionized with the Communications Workers of America. However, no contract has been finalized between the second store and Apple.
In recent years, unions have made significant election victories, such as at an Amazon warehouse in New York City, a Chipotle store in Michigan, and numerous Starbucks locations throughout the country. Despite these wins, many unions have struggled to secure contracts for their members.
