Leading employees in a unionization driveAt an AppleGeorgia’s retail stores were inspired by AmazonEmployees who attempted to unite a warehouse in Bessemer (Alabama) during the Covid pandemic.

CNBC interviewed members of the Apple union organizing team to discuss their remarks. They stated that the highly publicized union drive at Amazon’s warehouse in Amazon last year has had a significant ripple effect on other tech companies, even though it was unsuccessful.

Derrick Bowles from the Apple Retail Union organized committee said the unionization process at the Apple Store in Cumberland Mall in Atlanta began last summer. He was inspired by what was going on in Bessemer in Alabama with Amazon Warehouse.

His media coverage of the strike drew him into the AFL-CIO. He also found the Communication Workers of America. They will be representing the Georgia shop if the employees vote to unionize. The election is expected to occur in the next few weeks. Although he hasn’t had the opportunity to meet any Bessemer organizers yet, he says that he respects their efforts.

An NLRB filing shows that more than 70% signed the cards indicating interest in unionizing. The organizers claimed that more people have joined the union drive since it was made public.

If it succeeds, Cumberland Mall could be the first Apple store to unionize.

Amazon is currently in Bessemer Alabama facing a labor struggle since 2020. Amazon opposed employees who wanted to join the Retail, Wholesale, and Department Store Union. They built websites encouraging workers to “do so without dues”, and oversaw the installation of controversial mailboxes in front of the building to collect votes.

National attention was drawn to the union drive. support from lawmakersThe message included a message by President Biden stating that workers had made a “vital choice”. The effort failed to materialize. defeatedIn April 2021 and again in a do-over electionIn March 2022 the gap between victory and defeat was smaller than the first time. Amazon employees working in Staten Island’s warehouse successfully won the battle.oted to unionizeYou can start earlier in the month.

While the Apple retail organizers are not facing the same resistance as Bessemer workers from Amazon, they stated that it wouldn’t surprise them if Apple challenges the union now it is open to the public.

The organizers stated that they were not angry with Apple but believe that it is a safe company and protects its workers. They want to be able to request higher wages in order to maintain a reasonable standard of living and have an input into working conditions that address safety issues such as store masking rules.

Elli Daniels who sits on the organizing board said that Apple would hire “the coolest people with the greatest abilities, thoughts and ideas.” The union’s founding committee was a gathering of incredible minds to ensure that we not only have the strength of numbers but that our collective knowledge is the best.

This week’s employees were at Apple’s Grand Central Terminal storeNew York City’s organizers disclosed that they have begun to gather signatures for Workers United to file with NLRB for a union elections. The organizers want better wages, benefits and a minimum wage at $30 per hour.

The organizers of the Cumberland Mall said they are focused only on their local store and their colleagues, but that they hope their union drive will inspire Apple employees at other locations.

“We hope going public will make them realize how much they love organizing and forming their union. We want that to be a catalyst for them to believe that if it is possible, then why shouldn’t they? Daniels agreed.

Apple’s spokesperson said that they were pleased to provide strong benefits and compensation for part-time and full-time employees. This includes tuition reimbursement, health care, parental leave, new parental leave and paid family leave as well as annual stock grants.