When Elli Daniels started working at the Apple Store at the Cumberland Mall location in Atlanta, her hourly wage was $16.50 — higher than the federal minimum that Georgia applies, but below average to sell in her big city area. Three years later and despite many salary increases, her salary is barely keeping up with the country inflationaryor Apple’s soaring profits for that matter.
She is one of 100 eligible workers at the Apple Store location beg The National Labor Relations Board on Wednesday, with the support of the Communications Workers of America (CWA), holds a union election. This will be the first such election for an Apple retail location in the US.
“One of the biggest things we are fighting for is going to be fair pay and livable wages,” Daniels told Engadget. “Everybody deserves the chance to not have to worry about whether they can afford food or pay their bills. Everyone deserves to be able to afford to live in the city they work in. job.”
However, Daniels, a product area expert, has made it clear that her and her colleagues’ desire for better pay is not due to grievances. By all the signs of a sincere believer in Apple products, she makes it clear that “we want to do this because we love the company, not because we want to turn our backs on it.” with them.”
As with Google Fiber retail employees, who recently formed a union in Kansas City, Missouri, Apple has been completely silent on the matters, according to Daniels. “We haven’t heard anything from the Apple company at all.” Therefore, employees and TTK choose to file a request for voluntary recognition and concurrent union elections. Apple’s silence seems to indicate the company intends to let things go to a vote, although we’ve reached out to them for confirmation.
During the pandemic years, Apple has raked in huge profits, even as the economy as a whole is struggling. It posted the record-breaking quarter end and end, but the winnings are not split evenly, according to Daniels. The pay raise is an obvious way to ease the material hardship for Apple Store employees, some of whom have “had to leave the company because they just needed more money to be able to pay their bills, because they’re growing up a family.” But it is also a philosophical means of “trying to bridge the gap” between corporate and retail employees. “It’s really important that both sides of the coin are treated fairly in the company we all work for,” she said.
Cumberland workers are not alone, either. Apple Store workers at New York City’s Grand Central terminal, supported by Fruit Stand worker United, recently called out minimum wage $30 per hour. They are also riding on a new wave of reunion sentiment shown by the first success union vote at a US Amazon warehouse, as well as a series of successful union dynamics across Starbucks locations nationwide. However, Apple doesn’t seem to have implemented the same captive audience meetings and union sabotage techniques the companies have become. increasingly associated with.
“We love Apple no matter what,” insisted Daniels, “I think it’s all about making sure that we can all come together and really make Cumberland the best place we can be.” for all of us – both of us here now, as well as those here in the future.”
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