“An Apple Inc. store employee has started a union in a rare move at a company known for its near-fanatical following and cutting-edge mystique,” Poornima Gupta reports for Reuters.
“Cory Moll, a part-time employee at an Apple store in San Francisco, is working to form a union to fight for better wages and benefits and to address what he says are unfair practices in the company’s glass-and-steel retail showrooms,” Gupta reports. “‘The core issues definitely involve compensation, pay, benefits,’ Moll said, adding that he decided to go public with the union to encourage other employees to come forward.”
Gupta reports, “Moll, who has been working at Apple for four years, said he makes $14 an hour at the San Francisco Apple store. The minimum wage for 2011 in San Francisco, one of the most expensive cities in the United States, is $9.92 an hour. The 30-year-old employee primarily communicates with other Apple store employees through Twitter, Facebook and the “Apple Retail Workers Union” website, which he created in May, without disclosing his name. Moll has received little public support from employees so far, though he said he has emails expressing support.”
Gupta reports, “Apple has more than 30,000 retail employees in its 325 stores around the world.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Isn’t $14 better than $9.92? You know, like 41% better? If you don’t like the pay, go find a retail job that pays better than Apple. If you can’t find one, get a better job that pays more than retail. If you can’t afford to live “one of the most expensive cities in the United States,” then move, Einstein.
Those who founded meaningful, necessary unions, not to mention Triangle Shirtwaist Factory workers, long before certain overgrown kids couldn’t whine about being paid 41% over legal minimum wage to work in well-appointed, climate-controlled, beatifully-designed environments selling and supporting wonderful, interesting products while comfortably dressed are rolling over in their graves.
Moll doesn’t understand the purpose of unions; they’re not supposed to be extortion vehicles for privileged workers.
Apple Retail Stores have to be close to, if not the very pinnacle of retail work on this planet.
In the words of the elder that speaks of floppy disks: “You’re all soft.”
Related article:
Small group of Apple Store employees talk of unionizing on 10th retail anniversary – May 19, 2011