Apple retail fight to organize kicks off as Atlanta workers becomes first to file for union vote

After 9to5Mac reported this weekend that the NYC Apple Store employees started the process toward unionizing, it seems that a retail location in Atlanta will become the first in the U.S. to file a union election, per a report.

According to Bloomberg Law’s story, the proposed union would include 107 workers at an Apple Store in Cumberland Mall in northwest Atlanta, with 70% of workers signing cards of support and planning to file an election petition with the National Labor Relations Board.

“Right now, I think, is the right time because we simply see momentum swinging the way of workers,” Derrick Bowles, a Cumberland Apple store worker and member of the organizing committee said. “As we sat back and re-evaluated, what we realized is that we love being at Apple – and leaving Apple, that’s not something any of us wants to do. But improving it is something we wanted to do.”

Bloomberg report that organizers plans to raise base wages to $28 an hour, which is $8 more than Apple currently pays. That said, this is still below the living wage of $31 per hour as a single parent with one child needs to live there, according to the Massachussets Institute of Technology.

Organizers say that $28 is the “minimum needed for a single employee to afford a one-bedroom apartment without being rent burdened.”

This demand is similar to what NYC Grand Central Station Apple Store employees are seeking as well, as CNBC’s Kif Lewsing spotted.

For pay, we seek a minimum $30 for all workers, built up on a matrix based on role, tenure, and performance. For benefits, we seek more robust changes, like increased tuition reimbursement, faster accrued and more vacation time, and better retirement options, including higher match rates for 401(k) and enrollment into pension plans. For health and safety, we look to conduct research into security protocols with customer interactions, and research into track dust, health effects from building materials, and noise pollution at Grand Central.

According to Bloomberg, the ”Apple Store Union’s petition would need to be reviewed by the NLRB, which would then hold hearing on the bargaining unit’s size and other key issues.”

You can read the full story here.

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