Employees at an Apple store in Oklahoma City's Penn Square mall voted to ratify their first-ever collective bargaining agreement. The store workers are part of the Communications Workers of America, which does business as Apple Retail Union-CWA Local 6016. The employees' three-year agreement with Apple includes the following, according to a CWA news release:
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“Salary increases of up to 11.5% over the next three years.”
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“Worker participation in programming and guaranteed paid time off to vote.”
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“A safer and more democratic workplace with a grievance and arbitration process and the establishment of joint Health and Safety and Industrial Relations committees.”
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“Job protection in the event of store closure or relocation and severance pay.”
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“Guaranteed paid time off, health care and other benefits.”
Today’s news caps years of struggle to unionize and win a contract for the Apple store at Penn Square mall, which began organizing in early 2022. The sides reached an agreement in early September after a unanimous strike authorization vote in August and a picket at the store.
The Oklahoma City employees are the second group of Apple retail workers to reach an agreement through their union. An Apple store in Maryland was the first of the tech company's retail stores to unionize, according to the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in June 2022.
