Apple Store workers in Georgia cancel union vote over intimidation allegations

Less than a week ahead of schedule, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) decided to withdraw the official union vote for Apple Store employees at the Cumberland Mall in Atlanta. As I mentioned for the first time before BloombergHowever, the union – which recently invested heavily in organizing tech workers – chose to back down as a result of what it called Apple’s “repeated violations of the National Labor Relations Act”.

The withdrawal comes after weeks of escalating tensions between Apple and its retail employees. Soon after Cumberland announced its intentions, it was reported that Apple had retained Littler Mendelson, the same law firm Starbucks — going through a wave of store consortia — that it had participated in. “We excel at avoiding unions,” the company’s website states. Soon after, Apple began handing out anti-union talking points to managers, and Atlanta workers claimed they were forced into so-called “captive audience meetings,” a hallmark of union busting campaigns. Earlier this week, a leaked voice from Apple’s vice president, Deirdre O’Brien, expresses why she thinks a union is inappropriate for the company. This message was reportedly sent to all 65,000 Apple retail employees.

In a statement today, the CWA said Apple’s actions “made free and fair elections impossible.” The group also expressed concern that COVID cases among store employees may jeopardize their ability to vote in person.

One of the main reasons why Cumberland employees decided to organize was simple economy. Speaking with Engadget, shop worker Elli Daniels described wage stagnation that has failed to keep pace with national inflation or local increases in the cost of living. Notably, Apple was one of the few companies that thrived under pandemic conditions, posting several consecutive record-breaking quarters.

Perhaps in an effort to stave off unrest among retail employees (Cumberland is only one of the stores currently exploring unions) Apple has said it will increase pay to a starting wage of $22 an hour. “We are pleased to offer very strong compensation and benefits to full-time and part-time employees, including healthcare, tuition reimbursement, new parental leave, paid family leave, annual stock awards and many other benefits,” Apple told the press today in a statement. (The pay increase, by the way, was reported several hours after the aforementioned union avoidance sound leaked to the press.)

While it is an immediate setback, the withdrawal does not prevent the CWA from attempting another union election – although it will have to wait at least six months for reorganization.