“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
Damn I wish I was making $14/hour!! I’d gladly take his job. I work at a grocery store and only make $10.50/hour and our grocery company (Loblaw here in Canada) has a union. I don’t know how much the Apple Stores in Canada pay but if they pay close to $14/hour plus benefits then I need to continue to apply! I’ve only gone to three Apple seminar interviews so far and so far have not been hired. I can’t do any worse at a forth.
I can clearly see why there is this reasoning for better pay at Apple stores.
The way it works right now (as it does in most capitalist societies) is on the principle of supply and demand. Apple Retail is able to staff their San Francisco store(s) by $14-per-hour workers because there are many people out there without a job who are willing to work for such a meager wage. If it were a grocery store, or Wal-Mart, or any other major retailer, making razor-thin margin on fairly low retail volume, it would make sense, especially since retail jobs at those locations require very little training and fairly basic skills (you don’t even need a high school diploma to work at Wal-Mart). Apple Retail is supposed to be different, though. They command by far highest revenue-per-square foot; their profit margins are by far highest out there; their sales force is perceived to be significantly more intelligent and knowledgeable than others. However, thanks to the dreadful economy, they are able to take advantage of the abundance of skilled unemployed workers and pay them almost minimum wage for work that is clearly at higher level than other comparable retailers. This sounds a bit unfair, since the workers are really NOT in a position of leverage.
The problem here is that the dengenerates who stock shelves with bars of soap overnight at Walmart are making almost as much if not more. You are all insensitive assholes and yea you have the right to criticize, but for a company that says their core reapirae is their people, in stores thy are so busy the stress level must be through the roof, maybe they should stop touting how many billions they have and give everyone am extra buck per hour. Google did it.
And I’m sure he and they are quite content with the working conditions and the sense of community and the products. You clearly didn’t listen. I have been there. Apple employees spend 75% of their time on work, 20% sleeping and the other 5 on outside relationships. It blows. They all deserve a little nod from their leadership. There is always gray area for debate, but have a heart you group of assholes.
I stop buying American cars because of the Unions. They cannot build competitive cars because they have to pay all their profits to the union.
I stopped buying American cars because they sucked. Now that they are improving in terms of quality, I will consider them again. Your rationale is very weak. You do understand that the car companies participated in the collective bargaining efforts. These companies were really happy while the profits were rolling in. When the profits started declining (for *many* reasons besides just unions!), they suddenly realized that they had promised too much and saved too little to cover those benefits. It was not and is not just the unions.
I believe American auto industry is a perfect example where unions went way too far, but don’t show the entire picture. A major reason why Detroit isn’t as competitive anymore is the crippling deals (even laws) that exist for their independent dealers. Apparently, it is extremely expensive for an automaker to shut down a model line (such as Oldsmobile, Plymouth, Eagle, etc). In many jurisdictions, an automaker is required to make a hefty payout to independent dealers of such a model line if they were to shut it down. So, Detroit kept making cars that nobody wanted, because it was cheaper to lose money on them than to kill the brand.
I wonder how many of the staunch anti-union people on this forum make less than $30 per hour? People seem so eager to downgrade the value of the work of others. This country became stronger when the living standards of the majority of its citizens rose together. You should fear the likely results of this country becoming ever more strongly divided from a socioeconomic standpoint. You used to be able to make a reasonable living wage without a college degree. Now it can be difficult to do the same with a college degree. And keep in mind that we still need workers to do all of the “dirty jobs” that keep this country going on a day-to-day basis. Those people deserve a reasonable living wage, as well. This is not socialism. This is common sense.
Quit focusing on what you don’t like, and work hard on promoting the things that you do like. And, while you are doing that, try to give a crap about the “other” guy once in a while.
Not only do I make less than $30 an hour, I have worked both union and open shop as an industrial electrician. I have seen what their priorities and work ethics are.
You have good people in both situations, but the union system stymies productivity (I don’t care what facts you dig up to throw around). Go out and work it yourself, you will see.
Of course, unions should have a right to organize by secret ballot, NOT CardCheck!!! If working conditions are bad enough to warrant a union, then a union the employer deserves.
If someone wants to support a family on the few skills required in retail, then they should consider two jobs, business degrees, or to live within their means. AS long as someone off the street can be put into your position with less than 3 months training, don’t expect to have too much leverage (that pretty much goes for any trade).
And to answer Predrag regarding low wages in a slow growth period, that is exactly what helps to keep inflation down and a slow, real growth on track.
I have nothing against people making all the money they are legally worth, but at the same time, most people are not worth on the open market what their mother’s tell they are worth over the supper table….
If this is the same Cory I knew, and he used to work in one of the Wisconsin Apple stores, then he’s not all quite there. I can’t imagine this going through at all…
Cory Moll probably lives with his mom and dad still.
1. Apple Stores make more per square foot than any other retail chain, period. They can afford to pay more than $14 an hour in a major market like San Fran. I’m not saying they gotta make their employees rich, but they should at least pay them enough to survive on.
2. Apple, like many other retail chains, practices shady employment practices in order to keep from paying benefits. As an example, they will hire 3X the number of employees needed so they can schedule them all 10-20 hours per week, rather than take a chance of exceeding 30 and being forced to offer benefits. They reduce your hours if you don’t sell all the add-ons, such as AppleCare.
All that being said, unions suck.
Unless I’m wrong workers in the USA still have the right to organize, whether employers like it or not. You’re right Apple may be paying and treating their employees differently, but a victory with Apple may lead to one with WAL-MART, Home Depot, etc and others that really crack down and punish employees for trying to organize. And yes living in NYC or San Francisco is DEFINITELY more expensive than say Virginia, or Texas. Housing and transportation especially.
Moll does not understand that unions are so outdated. Nor does he understand that unions hold a strangle hold on the companies that have unions in them. Detroit auto industry was almost dead until the government came in and virtually eliminated any opposition to the union by reorganizing the executive boards and gave them money and the okay to continue. Moll thinks the union will make things better in this economy. Apple is a company that has a close rein on it’s daily and worldwide operations. Apple researches the local retail and infrastructor where they open their retail locations. If Moll is successful in organizing a union then Apple will more than likely close some retail locations and along with that new products would most likely be delayed, etc. Apple is on the cutting edge of enovating new products and software. Having a union will most likely hinder Apple in more than one way. Moll in his search for an easy way to get more money and do even even less. Unions were needed in the beginning of our industrial age. They were needed to protect the workers and to get them decent wages in the early stages of the industrial era. As soon as the union were making money hand over fist organized crime began to take over and the worst of the unions began to grow. Unions now are smaller overall but they control much more. Unions need to go away quietly and stop being the 500 hundred pound gorilla that they have become.
Blame the store manager who should’ve spotted this crabapple by the end of his first year and fired his ass – pussy manager doesn’t want to make waves – a career ender for him/her methinks.
Every worker has a right to join a union. The minimum wage in Australia is AU$15/hour (just under US$16/hour), plus 20% if you are employed as a casual worker who is not entitled to annual leave, sick or long service leave. Plus the Australian government provides all your health care needs at little or no cost to you, apart from a 1.5% levy on your pay.
The fact that a supposedly rich country like the U.S.A. has a minimum hourly wage rate so absurdly low, US $9.92 (AU $9.34) is really quite disturbing.
I’m not sure how much a call centre worker earns in the U.S. for a major company, but in Australia you’re looking at $20-25/hour. And that’s with no qualifications whatsoever. A person who services telecommunications towers, while getting a little over minimum wage in America, gets $30+/hour in Australia. Get the picture?
So if you have almost any professional qualification in health care, mining, engineering, teaching, construction, IT, emergency services – practically any field – there’s a high paying jobs in Australia with your name on it.
Actually, some areas of USA are much richer than Australia, and vast areas of USA is much poorer than Australia.
So if even “average” might be in favour of USA, majority of people live better in Australia. Minimum wage limit is just one more proof of that.
He should go to sweden where they will pay him for 2 years to learn the language and give him a job doing exactly what he’s doing in the Apple Store–“COMPLAINING ASS-HATTERY”
Trying to form this union is about as smart as a McDonald’s worker going to his boss and demanding to be paid $50 an hour. And will be just as successful. Apple would have to agree to the terms that the union proposes. And they won’t, because they would have zero reason to agree to them. People would line up for the non-union positions if current employees formed a union and striked. There would never be any reason why Apple would want to agree to a union contract for retail workers. So, trying to form this union is pretty much the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard of.
Having been an Apple store employee and earning $14 per hour I can understand the frustrations of the employee who is trying to form a union.
All Apple stores have customers fill out random surveys and areas of the store are scored on their performance. The 3 main areas are the Red Zone (where the computers, iPhones, iPads, and iPod are), the Family Room (where the lessons are taught and the software and accessories are located), and the Genius Bar (where all product problems are evaluated). Net promoter scores from the three different parts of the store vary anywhere from the 70% range at the Genius Bar to the 90% range in the Family Room where the Creatives (teachers) are. People are not as happy when they are told that their warranty is no longer valid as they are when they learn something new and cool about their shiny new Apple product.
Apple also uses the same rating system for store employees to rate Apple as an employer. Those net promoter scores show that only about 50% of the employees are happy working for Apple. So there’s a huge misconception that working at an Apple store is this wonderful and perfect place to work. It is not.
Understand that it is one of the busiest retail outlets of any kind in the country, perhaps the world. Working there is fun but it’s hard work and it’s nonstop.
The fact that the customers are happier with Apple than Apple employees are with Apple is rather interesting in that the differential is quite large.
So as your writing your articles putting down the gentleman who wants to form a union you should understand that working for Apple isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The turnover is also rather high and would be higher if the economy were better.
Next time do your homework!!
Having been an Apple store employee and earning $14 per hour I can understand the frustrations of the employee who is trying to form a union.
All Apple stores have customers fill out random surveys and areas of the store are scored on their performance. The 3 main areas are the Red Zone (where the computers, iPhones, iPads, and iPod are), the Family Room (where the lessons are taught and the software and accessories are located), and the Genius Bar (where all product problems are evaluated). Net promoter scores from the three different parts of the store vary anywhere from the 70% range at the Genius Bar to the 90% range in the Family Room where the Creatives (teachers) are. People are not as happy when they are told that their warranty is no longer valid as they are when they learn something new and cool about their shiny new Apple product.
Apple also uses the same rating system for store employees to rate Apple as an employer. Those net promoter scores show that only about 50% of the people are happy working for Apple. So there’s a huge misconception that working at an Apple store is this wonderful and perfect place to work. It is not.
Understand that it is one of the busiest retail outlets of any kind in the country perhaps the world. Working there is fun but it’s hard work and it’s nonstop.
The fact that the customers are happier with Apple than Apple employees are with Apple is rather interesting in that the differential is quite large.
So as your writing your articles putting down the gentleman who wants to form a union you should understand that working for Apple isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The turnover is also rather high and would be higher if the economy were better.
Next time do your homework!!
And…what does any of that have to do with forming a union?
Employees can ask for changes in compensation, conditions, etc., without forming a union.
In 1960, when a union leader of one of the best performed unions, after getting a generous collective agreement, was asked whether he was satisfied with his achievement, answered: “More”. So however much a union got, it was never satisfied.
Wasn’t the BIGGEST UNION that has ever failed known as the SOVIET UNION?