More than two years after the first Apple store’s employees voted to unionize, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers’ Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (IAM CORE) has negotiated an agreement with the tech retailer for workers at its store in Towson, Md. The approximately 85 union members working there had voted to authorize a strike in May 2024.
The tentative three-year agreement, which the employees will vote on on Aug. 6, 2024, includes:
- Pay increases: Average raises of 10% over the life of the contract and increases in starting pay for 80% of job classifications;
- Job security: Limits on contracted employees and a severance clause; and
- Transparency: A fair and clear disciplinary process with protections and accountability.
The road to any kind of union representation in retail has been a long and difficult one. In October 2022 workers at an Oklahoma City Apple store voted to unionize, but with a different union than the Maryland store’s workers, who had voted to unionize in June 2022. In March 2023 the Communications Workers of America filed complaints against Apple with the National Labor Relations Board
However, the momentum may be moving toward unionization. Even Starbucks, once one of the most staunchly anti-union retailers, began negotiating with the Workers United union in April 2024.
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“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,” said the IAM CORE Negotiating Committee in a statement. “Together, we can build on this success in store after store and grow the power IAM CORE has started here in Maryland.”
