Next collective agreement for American Apple store
New success for US trade unionists: a "union contract" is now in force at a second Apple Store. The employees in Oklahoma are hoping for better conditions.
Apple Store Penn Square in Oklahoma City: Success for union.
(Image: Apple)
More union work in Apple's chain of stores in the United States: A collective agreement has now been signed in Oklahoma City in the state of the same name. It is the second US store in which this has been achieved. The agreement with the Communication Workers of America (CWA) was preceded by industrial action. Like many US companies, Apple is considered to be unfriendly or even hostile to trade unions – at least according to employee representatives.
Employees to receive more benefits
According to the collective agreement published by the CWA, Apple has promised a series of improvements for employees after tough negotiations. As is usual in the USA, the entire company, in this case the store in Penn Square, is subject to union rules as soon as the employees have voted in favor. They must therefore also pay membership fees, but benefit from the negotiated results.
In the future, store staff will be more closely involved in shift planning – elections are free. A new arbitration procedure for disputes will be introduced, as well as committees for "Health and Safety" and "Working Relations". There is "guaranteed paid leave" (the length of which was not initially specified) and improvements to healthcare. Furthermore, the store cannot simply be closed or relocated, and there are certain job protection measures and severance payments.
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More money – Apple wants "excellent experience" for employees
The CWA was also able to negotiate an average 10 percent wage increase over three years. The increases are to be between 4 and 3 percent per year. The structure is to be similar to that of the collective agreement in Maryland, where the first collective agreement was concluded. According to CWA, one of the employees said it was "an uplifting feeling to complete this negotiation process". After all the work they had done "and all the obstacles Apple put in our way", they had finally achieved the improvements "we deserve".
Apple told 9to5Mac in a statement that it was as much about providing "an excellent experience" for its employees – as it was for its customers. They had "negotiated in good faith". The agreement allows the Penn Square team "to receive similar performance-based pay increases this year as last year, along with the same medical benefits and vacation entitlements that our US retail employees currently receive".
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