Apple will raise the hourly pay for US workers to $22, up 45% from 2018, amid inflation and a unionization push; US starting salaries are also expected to rise

The iPhone maker faces store unionization attempts, higher inflation — Apple Inc. AAPL .11%▲ is boosting pay …

Wall Street Journal 2022-05-26 Tim Higgins

Context & Ripple Effects

Apple had already moved to improve benefits for full- and part-time US retail staff in early 2022, including more paid sick time and PTO. The pay increase extends that retail-worker benefits push from time off into base compensation as store organizing gained momentum.

The increase also resets the bargaining backdrop for organizers at Grand Central Terminal, whose $30-an-hour minimum-pay demand remained well above Apple’s new $22 floor. Later, a Towson store’s tentative three-year labor agreement showed that retail organizing had progressed from individual campaigns to formal negotiations.

First-order effects

US hourly Apple workers receive a $22 wage floor, while prospective US hires are expected to see higher starting salaries; Apple takes on a higher retail labor-cost base.
Store organizers gain a higher existing-pay benchmark, though the Grand Central group’s stated $30 minimum demand is not met by the increase.

Second-order effects

Apple’s compensation response pairs higher wages with its earlier benefit improvements, concentrating union bargaining on the remaining gaps in pay, tuition, vacation and retirement benefits.
A higher starting-pay baseline makes retail hiring and retention less dependent on benefits alone, while increasing the cost Apple must sustain across its US hourly workforce.

Third-order effects

The sequence from benefit upgrades and wage increases to a Towson tentative agreement points toward US Apple retail labor relations being shaped increasingly by negotiated compensation standards rather than unilateral policy changes.
If organizing spreads across more stores, Apple’s pay decisions become a company-wide baseline for local bargaining campaigns, even where workers seek terms above that baseline.

The trend: Apple’s US retail workforce is moving from employer-set pay and benefits toward compensation benchmarks increasingly tested by organized workers and store-level bargaining.

Discussion

@jasoncross00 Jason Cross on x
Why you need a union, exhibit #3425: Just the THREAT of unionization scared Apple into boosting hourly pay to $22 (to start). Imagine what you could do if you didn't have to just take what they gave you and could instead negotiate as a group. https://www.wsj.com/...
@timkhiggins Tim Higgins on x
Faced with store unionization attempts and tight labor market, Apple boosting its compensation budget https://www.wsj.com/... via @WSJ
@rationalwalk @rationalwalk on x
$22/hr seems like pretty generous pay for working in an $AAPL store. But inflation warps everything. If the Chipotle is paying $16, then maybe the Apple store employee wants $26. People are not fooled by money illusion anymore. https://www.wsj.com/...
@moreperfectus @moreperfectus on x
BREAKING: Apple's head of retail Deirdre O'Brien sent an anti-union video to all of Apple's retail stores in the U.S. on Tuesday. In the leaked video, she falsely claims that if workers unionize, Apple may not be able to provide “immediate, widespread” benefits going forward. htt…
@markgurman Mark Gurman on x
As unionization discussion across Apple retail increases, the company has been sending some stores updated coffee machines. Nowhere to be found on Apple employee complaint lists: problems with coffee machines. https://twitter.com/...
@collindonnell Collin Donnell on x
I love Apple. Heck, I moved to a different state to work there. They are still a huge corporation dedicating to extracting the most labor out of their employees for the lowest cost in order to deliver value to their shareholders. https://twitter.com/...
@ashleygjovik @ashleygjovik on x
@FruitStoreNinja @InFROPHell That's exactly why Apple employees are unionizing! I cannot fucking wait for all these unions to start collective bargaining. Apple's going to be forced to have some humility and decency for the first time in a long time.
@greenhousenyt Steven Greenhouse on x
Apple treats union contracts as if they're set in stone, ignoring that a union would no doubt consider accepting “immediate, widespread” improvements if Apple offered them during a contract Apple wants no union & to maintain unilateral control over decisions regarding workers
@gotbizintros @gotbizintros on x
“Apple moves incredibly fast” Yeah ask part-timers how “incredibly fast” it took for them to get fair benefits https://twitter.com/...
@alexspeidel @alexspeidel on x
Fun fact: when a company says “a union means we can't make changes,” this is a lie! All they have to do is ask the union “hello, may we make the following change?” and if it's a good one, the union will say yes! The “problem” is that if it's a bad one, the union will say no! http…
@appleworkers @appleworkers on x
Oh, Dierdre. You're not helping anyone... except us. We grow stronger every day. And we will stand up to @Apple's illegal intimidation tactics. https://nlrb.gov/... #AppleTogether #AppleToo #UnionizeApple #OrganizeApple #UnionStrong #Union #Apple #AAPL $APPL https://twitter.com/.…
@applelaborers @applelaborers on x
Cumberland's vote to unionize is a little more than a week away, and Apple is union-busting harder than ever, despite it being illegal. We need your solidarity. We need to know we are not alone in this struggle. Because right now many of us feel alone. #AppleUnion #OrganizeApple
@creative_rants @creative_rants on x
🚨SUPPORT APPLE STORE CUMBERLAND'S UNION EFFORT🚨 https://twitter.com/...
@acoreunion @acoreunion on x
Truth. #solidarity #acoreunion #unionizeapple #apple #unionstrong #1u #machinistsunion #AppleUnion https://twitter.com/...
@ashleygjovik @ashleygjovik on x
@InFROPHell Whaaaat the fuck. Talk to your NLRB region first, but if there are unfair labor practices in the work place: Apple's no filming policy is prob void as far as you recording that video. Whoever files the NLRB charge on that one, please consider attaching: https://twitte…
@collindonnell Collin Donnell on x
Funny how companies that have received praise for doing right by their workers — Starbucks, Apple — and are considered to be progressive turn into full on Republicans the moment there's a chance those workers might get some leverage to influence their working conditions.
@bradbrovino Brad Brovino on x
Apple's idea of “immediate, widespread benefits” amounts to free Apple Arcade, a $5 monthly value. Thanks, that's really moving the needle when it comes to buying my kids diapers and non-existent formula.
@gotbizintros @gotbizintros on x
Anyone else have a sip of coffee from their anti-union Keurigs while listening to this bullshit? https://twitter.com/...
@apple_union @apple_union on x
Former Georgia state NAACP president @iMajorWish dropped by the Cumberland store to stand with workers and our right to form a union. We appreciate the solidarity and kind words. ✊🌱🍎 https://twitter.com/...
@infrophell @infrophell on x
Considering mandatory anti-union meetings are ILLEGAL, I wonder what the NLRB would think about Apple playing an anti-union video from an Senior Vice President during mandatory “downloads”... @ashleygjovik
@fruitstoreninja @fruitstoreninja on x
@InFROPHell @ashleygjovik doesn't matter, the worst that'll happen is Apple pays a fine, with no admission of wrongdoing, a couple years after the fact. Fines for violating the rights of workers are just a cost of doing business. Workers will have to join some sort of organizatio…
@ryanbealey @ryanbealey on x
An open letter to Apple Cumberland Mall employees, who vote on their union June 2. @AppleLaborers @Apple_Union #AppleTogether https://twitter.com/...
@zoeschiffer Zoë Schiffer on x
Apple retail employees say the company is sending stores Keurig machines to have in their break rooms — part of an overall trend to highlight (and augment) retail perks as stores are trying to unionize. If any employees know what the budget for this was, my DMs are open!
@imajorwish @imajorwish on x
Honored to be alongside these gifted, young brothers as we stand in support of @CODE_CWA and @Apple_Union's right to organize at Cumberland Mall here in metro Atlanta. Unions are the bedrock of our country and we must do everything we can to support them. #GaPol https://twitter.c…
@code_cwa @code_cwa on x
Wholesome timeline cleanser. @Apple_Union 🍎 https://twitter.com/...
@infrophell @infrophell on x
@ashleygjovik They're paid and usually 15-30 minutes. So at least we get a few dollars to be forced to watch propaganda /s
@ashleygjovik @ashleygjovik on x
@InFROPHell Well, hopefully very soon you can say “used to be forced to watch propaganda.” I'm hearing NLRB v. Gissel Packing Co., Inc., 395 U.S. 575 (1969) will be VERY relevant here for the stores already unionizing. https://www.youtube.com/...
@creative_rants @creative_rants on x
@ashleygjovik @InFROPHell Downloads are typically paid morning meetings, usually right before store opening, lead by managers to update the team on new information.
@techwontsaveus @techwontsaveus on x
“In the video, O'Brien also suggests that a union would make it more difficult for Apple to work on improving conditions for its retail workers.” An Apple worker and union organizer told @LaurenKGurley, “It turned my stomach.” https://www.vice.com/...
@moreperfectus @moreperfectus on x
The video is just the latest tactic deployed by Apple. Apple retail workers say the company has been illegally interrogating staff and forcing them into “captive audience” anti-union meetings. Workers at two stores filed formal NLRB charges this week. https://twitter.com/...
@acoreunion @acoreunion on x
When @Apple responded to our letter with “We respect and support our employees right to participate in the election process.” Is this what they had in mind?#solidarity #acoreunion #unionizeapple #apple #unionstrong #1u #machinistsunion #AppleUnion https://twitter.com/...
@applelaborers @applelaborers on x
Why do companies like Apple try so hard and spend millions of dollars to breakup union efforts? Because unions work. #UnionizeApple
@cscode_ @cscode_ on x
Recently I'be been super inactive as my store is going through what I like to call the ‘all-in-on-union protest’. WorkJam looks like a literal war zone with employees posting their salaries and calling out leads on their hypocrisy and unfair working conditions.
@phausler Philippe Hausler on x
The only way we can make our workplace better is together, and the folks who will be doing the labor to make that happen are the workers. I am grateful folks believe as I do. #AppleUnion #OrganizeApple https://twitter.com/...
@ashleygjovik @ashleygjovik on x
@InFROPHell Note for folks not familiar with Apple jargon, plz correct me, I only know this through osmosis: “Downloads” are the shown on a big screen in the lounge “Backstage” (the back rooms w/out customers) Are you paid during all these Downloads? Or is this unpaid intimidatio…
@greenhousenyt Steven Greenhouse on x
Apple—which this year became the 1st company with a $3 trillion market value—adopts Starbucks' & Amazon's anti-union rhetoric Apple's head of retail calls a union a meddling, outside organization, rather than seeing it as an organization of, by & for Apple's retail workers. https…
@zoeschiffer @zoeschiffer on x
New: Apple has officially come out against the union. In a leaked video, VP of people and retail Deidre O'Brien said: “I worry about what it would mean to put another organization in the middle of our relationship. An organization that does not have a deep understanding of Apple”…
@mclendaniel Morgan Clendaniel on x
The anti-union lawyers get paid huge bucks but they can't come up with a single new talking point. Just recycling the same PowerPoint to executives for decades. https://twitter.com/...
@ranimolla Rani Molla on x
Apple executive: “It is your right to join a union — and it is equally your right not to join a union” It's also your right to not not join a union https://www.bloomberg.com/...
@ns0n Anson Ling on x
When a corporation is actively pushing back against unionization, that's when you know you're on the right track. https://www.bloomberg.com/...
@newsynick Nick Turner on x
Apple's retail chief tells workers that it's their right to join a union but there may be consequences. “I worry about what it would mean to put another organization in the middle of our relationship.” https://www.bloomberg.com/... via @markgurman
@david_moscrop David Moscrop on x
Companies like Apple and Amazon fight unionization efforts because they don't care about their workers — they care about profit. Don't trust a word these companies say. The harder they fight against unions, the more you know unions work. https://twitter.com/...
@mjh_txt Matt Herbst on x
Most of what she said was misleading, at best. Employees had begged for the things she listed for years, and #Apple only inched forward because employees finally took action on their own. This is nothing but shameless anti-union propaganda. Pathetic. https://twitter.com/...
@cherthedev Cher Scarlett on x
Another unionizing Apple store! https://news.bloomberglaw.com/ ...
@somospostpc Alex Barredo on x
Apple: we can't pay you (the literal face of our company for millions of customers) a bit more also Apple: https://twitter.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@lisemlareau Lise Lareau on x
Classic union-busting jargon @Apple. You can substitute @Starbucks, @amazon and a host of other big name companies in posts just like this. #canlab https://twitter.com/...
@apple_union @apple_union on x
“As someone who genuinely likes my company, but is working to organize my store to hold it to its values, I'm disappointed not only in what was said in the video, but also in how convincing it will be to some people that are on the fence.” https://www.vice.com/...
@code_cwa Code-Cwa on x
More union-busting coming out of @Apple. In an internal video circulated among 58,000 retail employees, Apple's vice-president of retail suggested that a union would make it more difficult for Apple to improve working conditions.🤢https:// www.vice.com/... via @motherboard
@alex @alex on x
actual lol https://www.vice.com/... https://twitter.com/...
@lordravenscraft Eric Ravenscraft on x
they always say this. it's always a lie. for employers, “negotiations” are easy without a union because there are none you have no power, they dictate terms, you take it or leave it. a union isn't a “worse” way for workers to advocate for themselves. it's the *only* way https://t…
@laurenkgurley Lauren Kaori Gurley on x
NEW: We published audio of an Apple VP's anti-union speech circulated among 58,000 retail workers yesterday. Apple VP Deirdre O'Brien told workers that she was worried about bringing in “an organization” that does not “share our commitment to you.” https://www.vice.com/...
@markgurman Mark Gurman on x
New: Apple retail head Deirdre O'Brien has pushed back on unionization in a video to staff, saying it's equally an employee's right to not join a union and that unions may not be acting in workers' best interests. She also said unions could slow changes. https://www.bloomberg.com…

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