Core issues
In the aftermath of its outrage-inducing object-crushing advert, Apple has been dealt another PR blow, as it faces its first retail employee strike in history.
On Saturday, members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers voted overwhelmingly in favor of a staff walkout at the Apple store in Towson, Maryland, citing “unsatisfactory outcomes” from “over a year of negotiations” with management — including disputes over work-life balance, scheduling, and wages.
The Maryland store, as well as another in Oklahoma, were the first of their kind to unionize back in 2022. However, since then, no more Apple stores have formed workers’ guilds. In fact, at the same time as workers in Towson decided to strike, New Jersey Apple store employees voted against unionization.
State of the unions
While Apple is currently in the firing line for its employee practices, with labor unions like the Communications Workers of America accusing the tech giant of union-busting, collective strike action has been gaining traction across the US more widely.
Last year’s ‘Hot Strike Summer’ saw months-long mass action grind industries to a halt, as American employees such as Hollywood screenwriters walked out in numbers not seen for decades. Indeed, approximately 16.7M days were lost to work stoppages involving 1,000 or more workers in 2023. And, victories seen in many instances have spurred union action through to 2024, as job protections and inflation-matching salary hikes remain pertinent issues for steel workers, carmakers, and baristas alike.
