Apple store employees in Maryland have formed the company’s first US union

Workers at an Apple store in Maryland have voted to unionize.

Workers at the Apple store in Towson Town Center have been campaigning for several months. The New York Times reported that 65 employees voted in favor of unionizing, and 33 employees voted against it. The store workers will become members of theIAM.

The president of theIAM asked Apple CEO Tim Cook to respect the results of the election and fast-track a first contract for dedicated Apple employees. There is growing demand for unions at Apple stores and other industries.

It's possible that employees at other Apple stores will do the same. The Washington Post reported in February that unions were organizing at 14 Apple Store locations. Workers are sharing a petition about a union vote at a store in New York City's Grand Central Terminal. The employees in Atlanta withdrew their petition after reaching the same stage.

The Apple Coalition of Organized Retail Employee is the newest retail worker union in the country. Workers at a Trader Joe's store in Massachusetts filed for a union election last week, with an eye to becoming the first unionized store in the country.

The first vote in favor of joining a major trade union in the UK took place last week at an Apple store in Glasgow, Scotland. More than 270 Apple Store outposts are located in the US.

What do Apple’s unionized store employees want?

The issues driving Apple retail workers to unionize go beyond pay and benefits and include a desire for more of a voice in company operations. In an open letter to Apple chief Tim Cook last month, the employees behind the AppleCORE campaign said they were inspired by their love of their jobs and not to go against their management. They said they wanted to gain access to rights they don't have.

Wages have been a concern for the hourly workers. Apple raised its minimum wage to $22 per hour last month, but some workers will start at even higher rates. Retail employees can get up to $2,000 in stock. Wages have not increased enough for some employees.

Apple investors have benefited from recent stock purchases. 34% of Apple's revenue was earned through store sales, according to the report.

The tech giant could object to other stores trying to unionize. The Communications Workers of America filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board against Apple, accusing the company of using union busting tactics to prevent store employees from organizing. The New York Times reported that employees at the store said that their managers told them that unions once banned black workers and that they warned them about the costs of union dues.