Big tech companies in the US are facing an increasing labor movement. An Apple Inc. Store voted for unionization Friday while Amazon.com Inc faced unrest in its distribution sites in Southern California. The union organizer says it is just the beginning.
Immune to unions, Apple saw its Oklahoma City employees vote to join Communications Workers of America (CWA). It became the second store to unionize among the 270 odd Apple outlets in the US as Amazon workers stopped their work in San Bernardino, California, Friday. This kind of mobilization at the e-retailer was unheard of before but had become common during the coronavirus pandemic.
On Tuesday, Amazon faces a crucial test when US National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) counts votes for a warehouse election near Albany, New York. Other Tech giants are also facing labor activists. A CWA affiliate filed complaints with NLRB about an Alphabet Inc. unit violating subcontracted labor rights. The unionization of Apple Inc. outlets, known for their prominent locations and gleaming designs, could become a high-profile symbol of labor activism in the tech world.
Biggest Prizes
Apple faces increasing unionization, increased pay, and other benefits. The most valuable company in the world increased the minimum wage to $22 an hour, and they also announced a series of new benefits. Still, they told their unionized workers that they would only receive the perks after negotiations.
CWA complained to NLRB that Apple held several anti-union meetings, and the management threatened its workers in the run-up to the election. The CWA represents works in industries ranging from tech, health, airlines, and media said that organizing would be useless.
The counting of votes by NLRB Friday suggested the elections were not close. Fifty-six workers supported the Union, while 32 voted against it. The CWA is now in a position to negotiate on behalf of Apple’s upscale Oklahoma City Penn Square Mall store. The first store to unionize was last year in June at its Towson, Maryland, outlet.
In a video message, Apple warned its employees against putting a third-party organization between their relationships, making it clear they opposed unions. Deirdre O’Brien, Senior Vice President, said the Union does not have an understanding of the company and its business. CWA responded by saying it was intimidation on Apple’s part, comparing it to similar anti-union pushbacks by Amazon and Starbucks.
Amazon management is facing union campaigns throughout the country. Recently, workers at Moreno Valley, California warehouse completed paperwork to join the new labor union at the company. The Staten Island warehouse in New York voted to join the Union in April but lost another election in a nearby facility. Workers at the San Bernardino facility took part in one day strike on Friday, demanding a $5 per hour raise in wages and better working conditions.
Tech companies are not the only ones who are facing union movements. Coffee retail giant Starbucks saw union activists turn its initial victory in Buffalo, New York, to spread across the country. These wins are landmark victories for the labor-shrinking movements in the US.
