Apple HR Lead O'Brien Addresses Union Concerns in Video to Retail Workers

Apple Oxmoor in Louisville, KY - Image via Apple

26 MAY 2022 - Apple is leaning pretty hard against unionization moves at its retail stores. Bloomberg (via Yahoo Finance) ran a piece Wednesday highlighting a video message from Apple Senior VP of Retail + People Deirdre O’Brien to retail employees. Leaked audio of that video had O’Brien telling staff:

It is your right to join a union -- and it is equally your right not to join a union… And if you’re faced with that decision, I want to encourage you to consult a wide range of people and sources to make sure you understand what it could mean to work at Apple under a collective bargaining agreement.

O’Brien’s messaging leaned heavily on a theme of openness and togetherness between Apple and retail staff. The messaging also expressed concern over what a union might do to that relationship. Quoting the video again:

…I worry about what it would mean to put another organization in the middle of our relationship. An organization that doesn’t have a deep understanding of Apple or our business, and most importantly, one that I do not believe shares our commitment to you.

O’Brien also expressed concern that the addition of a union would hinder Apple’s ability to react quickly to big issues like the pandemic, as well as issues raised by workers themselves.

How all of that plays with retail staff remains to be seen. A number of store staffs are eyeing union moves, with a couple set to vote on the issue next month.

Report: Louisville’s Apple Oxmoor Considers Unionization

Speaking of stores eyeing the issue - a piece from Bloomberg Law says workers at Apple Oxmoor in Louisville, Kentucky are considering unionization. According to the report:

…Jay Hedgspeth, the 20-year-old retail specialist behind the effort, said workers are motivated to unionize by pandemic burnout, low pay relative to Apple’s profits, and an increasingly metrics-driven culture that has left employees feeling disconnected from their work.

While they’re said to have crossed the 30% threshold needed to hold a vote on a union, the organizer says they’re looking for a solid majority before seeking an affiliation and calling for a vote.