It’s a historic moment for a group of retail workers as Apple workers at the Cumberland Mall store petitioned to receive union status this week. They’re the first group of Apple retail workers in the country to take this step.
“It’s a wave going across the country — thousands and millions of workers want to be represented by a union,” said Ed Barlow, president of Communications Workers of America.
CWA will represent those employees. But Barlow says Apple has retained a lawyer who would likely push back against these efforts.
“We ask that you all be fair and allow these employees to get to a point where they can vote with no interference,” Barlow said.
That vote would require 50% plus one of the Cumberland employees will need to vote to form a union. After that, employees and CWA will begin negotiating a contract with Apple.
“If Apple plays fairly and nicely then we can get it done as soon as possible, which I hope will be in a matter of few months,” said Barlow.
Employees are calling for fair compensation, benefits and bonuses that are in line with corporate employees, and a work environment that takes mental health seriously.
“Even if companies don’t want to have the union there, well then it’s time that they actually make their benefits competitive enough in order to actually respect the dignity of the workforce that they’re employing,” said Rep. El-Mahdi Holly, (D) Henry County.
The efforts are supported by Holly, who is part of the state house’s Industry and Labor Committee
“Well, it’s a company that’s long said, it’s slogan is, ‘Think different.’ And I think what the employees there are hoping is that they value them in a way that shows they’re thinking differently.
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