OKC Apple Store employees want to join a union

Apple Penn Square Store workers in Oklahoma City filed with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for a unionization vote. Apple Store staff at many US and international locations want to join unions and have the unions recognized by Apple. The company has resorted to union-busting in many cases. Apple did agree to allow employees at a Maryland store to unionize.

Retail workers in technology outlets have a number of different unions they can become part of. Bloomberg notes that the Penn Square staff is aiming to join the Communications Workers of American (CWA) union. Staff must follow a process to organize. They begin by individually joining a union. Once 30% of the employees at a location join, they petition the NLRB to hold an election of the store. CWA says that about 70% of the Apple Penn Square staff are members. That qualifies the employees to petition for the NLRB election.

Winning a majority of votes in that election means the company is legally completed to recognize the union. That means Apple must negotiate with the union over collective bargaining, working conditions, and benefits. Apple Penn Square employee Michael Forsyth is one of the union organizers. He told Bloomberg that “This is a really great time to bring back the labor movement, I do really love [Apple]. There are changes that I do know need to happen, but I don’t believe it’s necessarily with our direct managers. I see this as a thing between the workers and Big Apple.”

Apple has not commented on the unionization attempt, and the NLRB has not yet responded to the employee petition.