Apple Store employees in Oklahoma voted to unionize

Employees of Apple's Penn Square store in Oklahoma City have voted to unite with America's communications workers, with 56 yes and 32 nos. According to the National Labor Relations Board, which oversees the election, all regular full-time and part-time employees of the store were eligible to vote, 95 in total.

The choice made for the US Apple Store was second only. In June, workers in Maryland voted to unionize in collaboration with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. Another election was scheduled to take place in Atlanta, but the CWA canceled it, claiming that the company had made a fair election "impossible" by intimidating workers.

Apple has faced several complaints about anti-union tactics, including from Oklahoma — earlier this month, the CWA filed charges against the company with the NLRB. According to a report from Public Radio Tulsa, according to the union, Apple questioned and surveyed Penn Square store employees, holding captive audience meetings (even during the busy iPhone 14 Plus launch day). And that said if they voted to organize they would not get the same benefits as non-federal stores. The latter point is supported by a Bloomberg report that said Apple told employees at union stores in Maryland that they would have to bargain for benefits being offered to workers at its other stores.

The CWA alleges similar behavior at locations in Atlanta and New York. The NLRB investigated the latter claims, and recently announced that it found merit in them, filing its complaint against Apple. For the election in Maryland, Apple hired anti-union lawyers, and officials tried to prevent employees from unionizing.