Customers walk past an Apple logo at an Apple store in Grand Central Station in New York.
Luca Jackson | Reuters
Workers hoping to form a union at Apple’s Grand Central Terminal Store want a minimum wage of $30 an hour, according to a Fruit Stand Workers United group website updated Monday.
Employees at Apple’s high-profile New York City store began taking unionizing steps earlier this year by releasing the first public-facing website announcing their efforts over the weekend.
The demand for higher wages shows that Apple’s wage workers believe they are more valuable in a tight job market.
“For pay, we are targeting a minimum of $30 for all workers based on a matrix based on role, tenure and performance,” organizers said on their website. “In terms of performance, we are aiming for more robust changes, such as: These include higher tuition reimbursement, faster accrual and more vacation time, and better retirement options, including higher 401(k) match rates and enrollment in retirement plans. For health and safety, we are looking for research into safety protocols with customer interactions and research into track dust, health effects of construction materials, and noise pollution at Grand Central.”
Apple employees can make anywhere from $17 to more than $30 an hour, depending on the market and experience, the Washington Post reported Saturday. On Monday, Verizon, a retail competitor in the phone market, announced it would raise its minimum wage to $20 an hour.
“We are pleased to offer very strong compensation and benefits to full-time and part-time employees, including health care, tuition reimbursement, new parental leave, paid family leave, annual stock grants and many other benefits,” an Apple spokesman said in a statement.
A staff-led organizing committee collects authorization cards that determine the level of union support in the store. The union requires 30% of the approximately 270 eligible employees at the Grand Central location to apply to the National Labor Relations Board, an important step before filing a union petition.
If organizers get 30% of eligible employees to sign cards, more than 50% of employees would need to vote for a union to officially certify the union.
This is the latest sign that workplace activism is on the rise amid an inflationary environment across the country and the Covid-19 pandemic has forced frontline workers to reconsider the risks and benefits of their jobs.
Amazon workers voted to form a union at a Staten Island warehouse earlier this month. Starbucks locations across the country also voted to organize. Apple Store employees at Grand Central are seeking representation at Workers United, a subsidiary of Service Employees International Union, which has overseen some successful Starbucks union campaigns.
“Hourly workers across the country have come to realize that unless employers organize for a collective voice, employers will continue to ignore their concerns in the workplace,” Workers United said in a statement.
Apple has 154,000 employees worldwide and 270 US branches, according to a financial file. Apple reported global sales of over $365 billion in fiscal 2021.