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Apple Store in Oklahoma Votes to Unionize, Becoming Second In US

The union vote comes after an Apple Store in Maryland voted the same way earlier this year.

Ian Sherr Contributor and Former Editor at Large / News
Ian Sherr (he/him/his) grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area, so he's always had a connection to the tech world. As an editor at large at CNET, he wrote about Apple, Microsoft, VR, video games and internet troubles. Aside from writing, he tinkers with tech at home, is a longtime fencer -- the kind with swords -- and began woodworking during the pandemic.
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Apple logo in cream on the outside glass of the Apple Store on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan

Union activity at Apple follows a wider organizing push around the US.

 Sarah Tew/CNET

Apple employees at an Oklahoma City store have voted to unionize, according to an announcement late Friday, marking the second retail location of the tech giant's more than 270 stores in the US to do so.

According to a report from Bloomberg, the workers voted to join the Communication Workers of America, which has been pushing to form unions in other Apple stores as well. 

The CWA confirmed the vote win in a tweet. 

Apple said in a statement that it was proud of its compensation programs and the increases in starting pay for employees over the past few years. "We believe the open, direct and collaborative relationship we have with our valued team members is the best way to provide an excellent experience for our customers, and for our teams," Apple said. 

The move marks the latest win among unions that have been organizing workers both in the tech industry and at large retailers. Kickstarter United employees ratified their first contract with OPEIU over the summer following a multiyear union drive. Google employees began forming the Alphabet Workers Union in early 2021, and those efforts spread to a group of contractors in Missouri. Workers in Amazon warehouses meanwhile had several big union pushes in April. Employees at a warehouse in Staten Island, New York voted to become the first US workers at Amazon to successfully unionize, while workers in Alabama have since failed to unionize.

Unions have also made inroads at Trader Joe's, Chipotle Mexican Grill and Starbucks, where more than 200 stores have successfully voted in favor of union organizing. 

Apple so far appears to have resisted some of the organizing, promising employees better schedule flexibility and longer breaks between shifts earlier this year. As the company has added benefits to non-union stores, the tech giant has also reportedly told union organizers they will have to bargain to receive them within unionized ones. 

The National Labor Relations Board, meanwhile, filed a complaint against Apple earlier this month, accusing the tech giant of attempting to suppress union organizing efforts in New York by questioning employees and preventing distribution of pro-union materials.