Tim Cook got a 500% pay raise last year. Now Apple store employees are considering unionization
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
Chris Morris
Fri, February 18, 2022
Apple Store employees at several locations around the country are taking steps to unionize as the divide between hourly workers and executives at the tech giant grows wider.
The Washington Post reports at least two stores are preparing to file paperwork with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in the near future, with an additional half-dozen in earlier stages of labor organization talks.
The impetus to unionize comes as retail workers grow unsatisfied with their compensation as inflation soars in the U.S. It also follows word that Apple CEO Tim Cook’s 2021 compensation increased 569% last year, hitting $98.7 million—$3 million in annual salary, $82.3 million in stock awards, and a $12 million cash bonus. That works out to 1,400 times what the average Apple employee earned.
The potential for unionization at Apple Stores comes on the heels of Starbucks workers in many locations successfully launching the first union in the company’s history, something Starbucks has actively fought for years. Amazon, too, is not finished with a bitter union battle, as workers in Alabama will have the opportunity to vote again after a judge ruled the company “gave a strong impression that it controlled the process” by arranging the installation of a mail collection box at the warehouse.
Apple has 270 Apple Store locations in the U.S. and over 500 globally. Last year, the company reported revenues of $378 billion, and in January, it saw its market capitalization top $3 trillion—the first company to ever do so.
Amy Sussman/Getty Images
Chris Morris
Fri, February 18, 2022
Apple Store employees at several locations around the country are taking steps to unionize as the divide between hourly workers and executives at the tech giant grows wider.
The Washington Post reports at least two stores are preparing to file paperwork with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in the near future, with an additional half-dozen in earlier stages of labor organization talks.
The impetus to unionize comes as retail workers grow unsatisfied with their compensation as inflation soars in the U.S. It also follows word that Apple CEO Tim Cook’s 2021 compensation increased 569% last year, hitting $98.7 million—$3 million in annual salary, $82.3 million in stock awards, and a $12 million cash bonus. That works out to 1,400 times what the average Apple employee earned.
The potential for unionization at Apple Stores comes on the heels of Starbucks workers in many locations successfully launching the first union in the company’s history, something Starbucks has actively fought for years. Amazon, too, is not finished with a bitter union battle, as workers in Alabama will have the opportunity to vote again after a judge ruled the company “gave a strong impression that it controlled the process” by arranging the installation of a mail collection box at the warehouse.
Apple has 270 Apple Store locations in the U.S. and over 500 globally. Last year, the company reported revenues of $378 billion, and in January, it saw its market capitalization top $3 trillion—the first company to ever do so.
U.S. Apple store workers working to unionize - Washington Post
FILE PHOTO - People shop for smartphones in an Apple Store in Manhattan, New York City
Fri, February 18, 2022, 6:27 AM·1 min read
(Reuters) - Employees at many Apple Inc stores in the United States are working to unionize, the Washington Post reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the efforts.
The move comes against the backdrop of unionization efforts gaining momentum at large U.S. corporations, including Amazon.com Inc and Starbucks Corp.
The report said employee groups at at least two Apple retail stores are backed by major national unions and are preparing to file paperwork with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in the near future.
At least six more locations are at less advanced stages in the unionization process, the report said, adding that Apple employees more than 65,000 retail workers.
Apple and the NLRB did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
Apple has 270 stores in the country and made 36% of its total $365.82 billion net sales in fiscal 2021 through its retail stores and website, according to a regulatory filing.
Its boss Tim Cook's pay last year was 1,447 times that of the average employee at the tech giant, fueled by stock awards that helped him earn a total of nearly $100 million.
The company had decided to temporarily shutter several outlets across the United States during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year, it planned to give store workers one-time bonus of as much as $1,000, Bloomberg News had reported in September, amid tight labor market conditions and unrest among employees.
(Reporting by Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Arun Koyyur)
FILE PHOTO - People shop for smartphones in an Apple Store in Manhattan, New York City
Fri, February 18, 2022, 6:27 AM·1 min read
(Reuters) - Employees at many Apple Inc stores in the United States are working to unionize, the Washington Post reported on Friday, citing people familiar with the efforts.
The move comes against the backdrop of unionization efforts gaining momentum at large U.S. corporations, including Amazon.com Inc and Starbucks Corp.
The report said employee groups at at least two Apple retail stores are backed by major national unions and are preparing to file paperwork with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in the near future.
At least six more locations are at less advanced stages in the unionization process, the report said, adding that Apple employees more than 65,000 retail workers.
Apple and the NLRB did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment.
Apple has 270 stores in the country and made 36% of its total $365.82 billion net sales in fiscal 2021 through its retail stores and website, according to a regulatory filing.
Its boss Tim Cook's pay last year was 1,447 times that of the average employee at the tech giant, fueled by stock awards that helped him earn a total of nearly $100 million.
The company had decided to temporarily shutter several outlets across the United States during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year, it planned to give store workers one-time bonus of as much as $1,000, Bloomberg News had reported in September, amid tight labor market conditions and unrest among employees.
(Reporting by Chavi Mehta in Bengaluru; Editing by Anil D'Silva and Arun Koyyur)
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