Apple Staff Make Bid for First Union — How Much Does the Union Organizers Want Workers To Be Paid?

Employees at Apple's Grand Central Station store in New York have stated their intention to form a union.

If the organizers are successful, it will be the first time that Apple employees have organized a union.

Apple Store Workers at Grand Central Terminal Wanted To Be Paid Higher Salaries

According to CBS News, the organizers, who go by the name Fruit Stand Workers United, have set up a website to publicize the campaign and push for improved compensation and working conditions.

Workers United, an affiliate of the national Service Employees International Union, which was founded in 2009 from numerous previous unions, has teamed up with the Fruit Stand Workers United, BBC reported.

The workers are not happy with how New York City's cost of living has increased yet their wages remained the same. They also pointed out how Apple has grown in wealth without their workers benefitting much.

"When Apple's goal is to make more money every year than they did the last, and their clientele has grown as much as it can, they have no choice but to extract more and more labor from their workforce, all while spending as little money as possible on that workforce," a statement on the website reads.

The organizers are gathering authorization cards to gauge the store's degree of support for unionization. In order to file with the National Labor Relations Board, which is a necessary step before submitting a union petition, the union requires 30% of the approximately 270 eligible employees at the Grand Central site.

What Are the Benefits the Organizers Want for Apple Workers at the Grand Central Terminal?

According to an Apple spokesperson, as per the report of CNBC, employees at Apple retail stores are paid a minimum of $20 per hour. The group demands a minimum hourly salary of $30 (£23) for all workers at the Grand Central location.

Aside from the $30 minimum hourly wage, the group also sought more vacation time and information on more stringent safety standards.

"For benefits, we seek more robust changes, like increased tuition reimbursement, faster accrued and more vacation time, and better retirement options, including higher match rates for 401(k) and enrollment into pension plans. For health and safety, we look to conduct research into security protocols with customer interactions, and research into track dust, health effects from building materials, and noise pollution at Grand Central."

Meanwhile, an Apple spokesperson said that for full-time and part-time employees, the company is willing to provide excellent compensation and benefits, including health care, new parental leave, tuition reimbursement, annual stock grants, paid family leave, and many other benefits, as per CBS News.

Employees of Other Big Companies Also Sought Higher Pay

Workers at 17 Starbucks locations, including those in Seattle, Arizona, and upstate New York, have chosen to unionize thus far. Since then, more than 150 Starbucks employees have petitioned the National Labor Relations Board to hold union elections.

Amazon employees in New York City voted earlier this month to form the company's first union. Amazon has stated that it intends to appeal the results.