Apple store employees in Baltimore have voted to unionise their branch.
The tech giant is thought to employ over 100,000 people across more than 500 stores worldwide and workers at the branch in Maryland, USA have decided to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) in what has been described as a "historic victory."
IAM International President Robert Martinez Jr said in a statement: "I applaud the courage displayed by CORE members at the Apple store in Towson for achieving this historic victory. They made a huge sacrifice for thousands of Apple employees across the nation who had all eyes on this election. I ask Apple CEO Tim Cook to respect the election results and fast-track a first contract for the dedicated IAM CORE Apple employees in Towson. This victory shows the growing demand for unions at Apple stores and different industries across our nation!"
The organisation - which is one of the largest and most diverse industrial trade unions in North America and represents more than half a million workers across the country - had reportedly Apple CEO Tim Cook in May 2022 informing him of the decision to organize their union, listing “access to rights [they] do not currently have."
Meanwhile, IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan claimed that employees of the Towson-based store were given "every opportunity" to ensure their victory in the vote.
He said: "The IAM Eastern Territory has provided every resource to ensure the employees in Towson were given every opportunity to win this election. want to thank IAM Special Representative David DiMaria for his dedication to this historic campaign. David was instrumental in keeping this group together, allowing their voices to represent Apple employees everywhere. The IAM and the Eastern Territory will provide the necessary resources to help achieve a first contract!"
