6

Apple retail workers at the Grand Central store are trying to unionize

 2 years ago
source link: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/apple-retail-workers-grand-central-190529443.html
Go to the source link to view the article. You can view the picture content, updated content and better typesetting reading experience. If the link is broken, please click the button below to view the snapshot at that time.
neoserver,ios ssh client

Apple retail workers at the Grand Central store are trying to unionize

Amanda Silberling
Tue, April 19, 2022, 4:05 AM·3 min read

From Activision to Amazon, historic union elections are changing the way that Americans think about work. Now, Apple is the next tech giant to reckon with an employee-driven labor movement.

Calling themselves the Fruit Stand Workers United (FSWU), employees at Apple's Grand Central Terminal retail location launched a website designed to educate their fellow workers about why they want to unionize their store.

"Year over year, the cost of living in New York City has not kept pace with our wages," the FSWU's mission statement reads. "Meanwhile, Apple has grown to be the most valuable company in the world. Why should its retail workers live precariously?"

The collective will be affiliated with Workers United, the same group that has helped over 20 Starbucks locations form unions since December.

The FSWU is seeking a minimum of $30 per hour for all workers. Right now, wages range between $17 and $30 per hour, plus some Apple stock. They also want better benefits, including increased tuition reimbursement, more vacation time, better retirement options and higher match rates for 401(k)s. Since the Grand Central store faces unique challenges due to its location, they want to conduct research about the health effects from the dust, building materials and noise pollution in the busy landmark.

"Grand Central is an extraordinary store with unique working conditions that make a union necessary to ensure our team has the best possible standards of living in what have proven to be extraordinary times with the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and once-in-a-generation consumer price inflation," the website reads.

The collective has begun the card signing process, which is a step toward filing for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). If at least 30% of workers sign cards indicating that they want a union, then the NLRB will conduct an election.

TechCrunch has reached out to Apple for comment, but did not hear back before publication.


About Joyk


Aggregate valuable and interesting links.
Joyk means Joy of geeK