Apple may take good care of its customers’ privacy — and we love it for that — but apparently, the situation is very different when it comes to its own employees.
According to several reports, the Communications Workers Association of America (CWA) is charging the iPhone maker over violations of federal labor laws.
In a filing with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), CWA claims Apple interrogates and spies on employees at its retail store in New York’s World Trade Center. It also claims that the company restricts them from posting union flyers and forces them to attend anti-union speeches.
Not the first Apple store looking to unionize…
CWA’s move comes at a time when employees across several U.S. retail stores are taking steps to unionize. Last month, employees at Apple’s Grand Central Terminal store in New York began planning to unionize and made their first demand, including to earn at least $30 per hour.
Meanwhile, Apple employees at the Cumberland Mall in Atlanta, Georgia began working with the CWA as part of the plan to file for union elections. The iPhone maker on its end hired anti-union lawyers at Littler Mendelson, the nation’s largest labor law firm, to try to prevent workers from unionizing. To that end, Apple organized a “mandatory meeting” which, according to the CWA, also violated federal labor laws.
Nasty tactics…
The CWA claims Apple held mandatory meetings during business hours to pressure employees to prevent them from joining a union. Like that’s not enough, the Cupertino-based giant is also interrogating workers about organizing events and distributing union-bashing materials in the form of videos and flyers.
Finally, Apple is also reportedly using a form of threats, with managers pulling employees aside and giving speeches. The managers are saying that the company may have to take action against the employees, like lowering their wages or stripping them of benefits and opportunities.
Furthermore, they said managers pretend to be doing other things but were actually trying to eavesdrop on employees.
Apple retail employees think they should be earning more…
Although Apple offers salaries that are generally in line with the salary of other retail jobs, its employees believe they deserve more as they do work for one of the most profitable companies in the world.
“Apple retail employees across the country are demanding a voice at work and a place at the negotiating table,” said Tim Dubnau, a CWA executive. “But unfortunately, with their stated values contrary to that, Apple’s response was a little different from other companies. It is employing high-handed tactics designed to intimidate and coerce workers.”