OKLAHOMA CITY – The Apple store union members in Oklahoma City voted to ratify the union contract they won earlier this month. 96% of workers in the union voted to ratify the contract.
A tentative agreement was reached on September 6th.
There are 78 workers at the Apple store in Penn Square Mall, and they are the second Apple store workers in the US to unionize and collectively win a union contract.
During the fight for a union contract, the Apple store union in Penn Square put pressure on the Company to negotiate in good faith.
In August, a strike was authorized, and an informational picket occurred on September 3rd with a large turnout from workers and community supporters. A tentative agreement with the company was reached three days later.
The contract will be good for three years before needing to negotiate the next contract.
The Apple store union — Apple Retail Union-CWA Local 6016 — won major concessions in this contract according to a press release from Communications Workers of America (CWA):
- Wage increases up to 11.5% over the next three years.
- Worker involvement in scheduling.
- Guaranteed paid time off to vote.
- A more democratic workplace with a grievance and arbitration process.
- The establishment of joint Safety and Health and Working Relations committees.
- Job protection in the event of a store closure or relocation and severance pay.
- Guaranteed paid time off, health, and other benefits.
Another important win for the union was bilingual pay for employees.
Free Press spoke with Michael Forsythe, genius admin and union organizer at Apple in Penn Square.
He said, “I think it [the contract] achieved a significant number of goals, especially when it comes to transparency in a large number of things. I think very clear expectations are a top ask for any worker.”
Asked about improvements that can be made, Forsythe continued, “There are certainly improvements that can be made. I don’t know of any first contracts that had every single ask people were seeking.”
“However, we plant trees for tomorrow. Securing due process in the workplace is a necessity if we want to focus on long-term goals,” he concluded.
A statement from Apple was issued after the vote:
“At Apple, we work hard to provide an excellent experience for our team members and our customers. We have always paid our retail teams in the top tier of the market and we provide exceptional benefits for all full- and part-time employees.
Throughout this process, we have bargained in good faith and this agreement allows Penn Square team members to enjoy similar performance-based wage increases this year as last year, along with the same medical and time away benefits our U.S. retail employees currently receive.”
During the fight for a union contract, the Apple store union in Penn Square had to put some pressure on the company to negotiate in good faith. In August, a strike was authorized, and an informational picket occurred on September 3rd with a large turnout from workers and community supporters.
Back in August of 2024, Towson, Maryland Apple Store workers were the first to ratify a union contract. The union in Towson is represented by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, while the store in Oklahoma City is represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA).
Alex Gatley covers labor activities in the state of Oklahoma.
