Apple reaches first-ever union deal with Maryland employees

Apple and the International Association of Machinists have reached a tentative labor deal for the Towson, Maryland store, marking the first U.S. union agreement for Apple’s retail workers. This deal follows the store’s workers voting to join the union in June 2022 and subsequently voting to authorize a strike in May.

The agreement, pending ratification by the store’s 85 workers, includes scheduling improvements, a 10% pay raise over three years, job protection measures and severance guarantees. A vote is set for Aug. 6.

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This milestone comes as similar union efforts at companies like Starbucks and Amazon have not yet secured contracts. Negotiating a first contract can be prolonged, with Bloomberg Law noting an average duration of 465 days, and some unions taking over two years, according to a 2023 study.

The deal could influence future unionization efforts at other Apple stores across the U.S., where only one other store, in Oklahoma City, has voted to unionize. Apple, which owns about 270 stores nationwide, has not commented on the agreement beyond expressing pride in their team’s compensation and benefits.