Apple Store Union Alleges Unfair Bargaining Practices

Labor representatives filed a complaint on Wednesday, accusing Apple Inc. of engaging in bad faith negotiations during contract talks with its first unionized US retail store.

The International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers, which represents the Apple store in Towson, Maryland, said the iPhone maker is stalling and has not responded to key proposals sought by workers. The group filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, citing a “clear pattern” of regressive bargaining.

The union claims that Apple has made counter offers that would only maintain the status quo. It also complained that Apple is sharing negotiation data with the company’s other retail stores, even though it has requested a closed negotiation process.

“We strongly dispute these allegations and look forward to providing the NLRB with complete information,” an Apple spokesperson said. “As always, we deal with the association that represents our team at Towson with respect and in good faith.”

The company has previously denied unfair labor practice charges filed with the NLRB for incidents at other retail locations.

The clash is the result of several months of negotiations between Apple and the union over the Maryland store, which represents about 100 workers. “After more than a dozen bargaining sessions, Apple continues to use stall tactics and act in ways that are not in the spirit of reaching a collective agreement,” said the machinists’ advocacy group, represented by the IAM Coalition of Organized Retail Employees. or IAM CORE.

There were signs of escalating tensions on Tuesday, when the union and Apple began the latest negotiation session. Organizers said on Twitter that Apple took “egregious actions that can only be interpreted as deliberate actions to derail the progress we’ve made so far.”

Earlier this year, Apple continued its efforts to prevent other retailers from merging, using its negotiations with the Towson location as a warning. It told workers that the Towson store prioritizes time off benefits for full-time workers — which could make union participation less attractive to part-timers — and said union dues could increase over time.

So far, Apple and the union at the Towson store have reached a tentative agreement on about a dozen proposals, including those related to non-discrimination, a health and safety committee and addressing pay errors.

Bloomberg News reported in April that Apple had previously rejected proposals for weekly pay instead of biweekly pay, scheduling policies, third-party arbitration to resolve grievances over current compensation procedures, a respect and dignity clause, and the establishment of promotions and layoffs.

Read more: Apple union workers seek tips, higher holiday pay

In May, the union asked Apple to implement increases of up to 10 percent. It also called for changes to vacation policy, bereavement leave and overtime. And store reps asked Apple to introduce a tipping system that allows shoppers to offer tips of 3%, 5% or a custom amount for in-store credit card transactions.

The NLRB complaint is at least the second from a Maryland store union. Last year, it filed suit with the government after Apple withheld some training and health insurance benefits from unionized workplaces.

In June, an NLRB judge ruled that the company violated workers’ rights at the New York store by “coercively” interrogating them about union supporters and restricting the distribution of union papers. Apple has announced that it disagrees with the verdict and will appeal.