Apple Store In Oklahoma Becomes Second In US To Vote To Unionize

Employees at Apple Inc's AAPL Penn Square store in Oklahoma City have voted to unionize, making it the second unionized Apple store in the U.S. 

Apple has been opposing unionization efforts around the country. Still, it's a win for the Communications Workers of America (CWA) as it can form the second union in the country. 

Apple workers at the store voted to unionize with 56 in favor and 32 opposed. According to the National Labor Relations Board, all regular full-time and part-time employees at the store were eligible to vote, 95 in total.

In June, Apple workers at an Apple store in Maryland became the first to unionize which President Joe Biden supported and praised workers who voted for it. 

The Maryland union is going to start formal discussions with Apple soon. The employees received guidance recently from its labor group on ways to negotiate with the Cupertino-based company and hold conversations with managers.

Also Read: Apple's Tim Cook On His Biggest Dispute With Steve Jobs: 'His Way Was More Creative And More Different'

"The Penn Square Apple retail workers are an amazing addition to our growing labor movement, and we are thrilled to welcome them as CWA members," CWA Secretary-Treasurer Sara Steffens said in a statement.

According to a CWA filing, Apple has vehemently opposed the union, and the company's management held anti-union meetings and threatened to withhold perks from unionized stores.

The CWA has said that similar behavior has been reported at Apple stores in Atlanta and New York.

Apple managers were instructed to tell employees that if they formed a union, they would have to do with "fewer opportunities" and "less flexibility." 

Last week, the company communicated to employees at its store in Maryland that they wouldn't receive the perks it planned to give their counterparts at other stores and corporate staff.