June 18 (Reuters) – Apple Inc. (AAPL.O) workers in Maryland voted Saturday to join a union, becoming the technology giant’s first retailer to join a union in the United States.
More than 100 workers in Towson, near Baltimore, “have voted overwhelmingly to join the International Association of Aerospace Mechanics and Workers,” the union said on its website.
Local workers, who make up the Coalition of Organized Retail Employees, “have the support of a solid majority of our co-workers,” they wrote in a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook.
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“This is something we should not go against or create conflicts with our management,” they wrote.
The Apple logo is seen in this illustration taken on March 1, 2022. REUTERS / Dado Ruvic / Illustration
An Apple spokesman, responding to Reuters’ request for comment, said in an email that the company had “nothing to add at this time.”
Unionization efforts are gaining momentum in some large U.S. corporations, such as Amazon.com Inc. (AMZN.O) and Starbucks Corp (SBUX.O). Read more
Apple workers in Atlanta seeking unionization withdrew their application last month, alleging intimidation.
Some current and former Apple employees began criticizing the company’s online working conditions last year, using the hashtag #AppleToo.
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Report by Jaiveer Singh Shekhawat in Bangalore; Edited by William Mallard
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