Apple staff make bid for first union at a US store

Workers at an Apple store in New York plan to form a union.

It would be the first union at one of the tech giant's US stores if their bid is successful.

Fruit Stand Workers United must get the signatures of at least 30% of their colleagues at the store to qualify for a union election.

Starbucks and Amazon have been involved in unionisation drives. Apple did not comment on the announcement.

A statement on a campaign website for the prospective union said that a union was necessary to ensure that the team had the best possible standards of living.

The group described themselves as working in extraordinary times with the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic and once-in-a- generation consumer price inflation, though their website did not reveal the name of staff members leading the effort.

The national Service Employees International Union established Workers United in 2009, which is connected to the campaign.

The Starbucks unionisation drive has spread nationally after election victories in New York.

An upstart campaign won an election at a warehouse in Staten Island earlier this month, which has led to a growing challenge from unions.

According to The Washington Post, employees in at least three other Apple stores are trying to organize.

Apple did not respond to the request immediately.