From the article:
“after efforts by Apple to calm down unionization efforts.”
!! Talk about Orwellian prose! !!
How about ”block”, “disrupt”, “undermine”, etc.?
”Calm down” is a markedly pro-Apple construction.
It makes it sound as if the employees and organizers were an excitable lot, as if the union efforts were merely a rambunctious outbreak that has no genuine concerns. It's as if Apple were a kind teacher gently telling her noisy charges to “settle down” and “get back in your seats” — or were an advert for an anti-itch medication — “it calms down the prickliness”.
Contrast MR's milquetoast phrasing with other tech and major news reporting!
Apple Insider
“stamp out burgeoning retail worker unionization efforts” “dissuade organizing employees” “Apple has instructed store leaders to warn employees that they could lose career growth opportunities, personal time off, and merit-based promotions.”
“Apple is pushing the narrative that a union prevents teamwork.”
Leaked documents display Apple's anti-union talking points to store leaders that it hopes will stamp out burgeoning retail worker unionization efforts.
appleinsider.com
”Apple taps same legal team as Starbucks for unionization fight ahead”
“working with anti-union lawyers”. “the company has been spreading anti-union messaging during meetings. “There’s a lot of misinformation that’s been spread trying to scare the masses,” the employee said.”
While Apple has yet to make a public statement about the unionization plans, it’s already hired anti-union lawyers to stop these efforts.
9to5mac.com
“oppose workers organizing for better pay and working conditions.”
“By retaining the notorious union busting firm Littler Mendelson, Apple’s management is showing that they intend to try to prevent their employees from exercising their right to join a union by running the same playbook as other large corporations,” said CWA Secretary-Treasurer Sara Steffens”
The firm, Littler Mendelson, also represents Starbucks efforts to squash employee organizing.
www.theverge.com
New York Times
“[Apple] released a video of Deirdre O’Brien, who leads Apple retail, cautioning employees that joining a union could hurt the company’s business.”
“management telling workers that unions once prohibited Black employees from joining their ranks. …Ms. O’Brien visited the store and thanked everyone for their hard work.”
“Soon after… They also started to pull employees into one-on-one meetings where managers highlighted the cost of union dues.”
Roughly two-thirds of employees at the store in Towson, Md., voted to join the union.
www.nytimes.com
The correct phrase is “union-busting”!
What's remarkable is that, in the face of all that undue, unwarranted, and possibly illegal pressure, the employees voted by a nearly TWO TO ONE margin to unionize! (65 to 33) The result was a pro-union landslide.
Apple also deliberately disrespects its own policies and professed commitments.
The Guardian
“Workers organizing
criticized Apple’s response to union organizing drives as contradictory to the company’s supplier code of conduct and Apple’s human rights policy.”
”Apple’s own
internal policy on human rights also cites the company adheres to respecting internationally recognized human rights “as set out in the United Nations International Bill of Human Rights and the International Labour Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work”.
“members have an obligation to realize, promote and respect freedom of association and the effective recognition of the right to collective bargaining.”
If successful, the store in Towson, Maryland, would be the first to unionize at the US tech company
www.theguardian.com
With all its money and power, and huge profit margins, Apple could easily support unionization, create worker-manager policy councils, provide union employee representation on its board, improve working conditions, and spread economic democracy and human rights.
Returning jobs to the U.S. would be good, too.
www.pbs.org
tech.co
