Workers’ rights: Apple reportedly forms ‘counter union’ in US

In the new year, the dispute between Apple and employees who want to establish employee representation on the board is likely to move to the next round – especially in the US, but also in Europe. New details have now leaked about how the iPhone manufacturer is trying to counter this. At a store in Ohio, Apple has formed a “counterunion” of sorts after employees recently failed to organize themselves into a union.

Complaint to US authorities

This was reported by the Communications Workers of America (CWA) in December In an official complaint to the US company National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). The NLRB is designed to mediate between employers and workers, but has no punitive powers. Incident about An Apple retail store at Easton Town Center in Columbus. According to the CWA, Apple also held forced meetings in which managers spoke out against unionization. A union is said to ensure that “certain issues” are no longer negotiable.

A “Special Task Force”

In addition, Apple is said to have established a so-called task force, for which flyers were also printed. This “pseudo-union” is “a specialized work group that can be used as a formal mechanism for employees and managers to provide feedback on local and company-wide initiatives, strategies and practices,” Apple says, according to the CWA. According to this, the organization had to have at least ten members, whose positions were based on trade union committees, so there was a “Co-Chair” and a “Secretary”.

A union controlled by management?

The CWA wrote in its complaint that it is illegal to form management-controlled sham unions. Apple has tried to force workers to join an employer-created/dominated labor organization to suppress union activity. It was very successful: so far, no union representation has been established in the Ohio shop.

(BSc)