Apple SVP Deirdre O'Brien Tries to Dissuade Employees From Forming Union

In an internal video that has leaked, Senior Vice President of Retail + People Deirdre O'Brien is seen trying to dissuade store employees from forming a union.

Prior to the video, Apple brass hadn't explicitly expressed an anti-union stance; however, the company is now facing union drives at the Grand Central Terminal store in New York, the Towson Town Center store in Maryland, and the Cumberland Mall store in Georgia.

“I worry about what it would mean to put another organization in the middle of our relationship,” O'Brien says. “An organization that does not have a deep understanding of Apple or our business. And most importantly one that I do not believe shares our commitment to you.”


In the video, O'Brien also claims that Apple will be slower to respond to employee concerns if a union is formed.

“Apple moves incredibly fast,” she said. “It’s one thing I love about our work in retail. It means that we need to be able to move fast too. And I worry that because the union will bring its own legally mandated rules that would determine how we work through issues it could make it harder for us to act swiftly to address things that you raise. I’m committed to and proud of our ability to act fast to support our teams, to support you. But I don’t know that we could have moved as quickly under a collective bargaining agreement, as it could limit our ability to make immediate widespread changes to improve your experience. And I think that’s what really is at stake here.”

Notably, the Communications Workers of America (CWA) recently filed complaints against Apple in New York City and Atlanta, accusing the company violating federal labor laws by interrogating workers about union activity, prohibiting employees from posting union flyers in shared spaces, and forcing workers to attend anti-union presentations.

More details in the full report linked below...


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