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Apple's union-busting practices violated employee rights at NYC store

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Re: Apple's union-busting practices violated employee rights at NYC store

#31

Post by foxyv »

sircastor wrote: post #21
foxyv wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A huge part of the Apple marketing are their retail locations and "Geniuses." A great deal of the reason I bought my first Apple product was because of an employee in an Apple Store.

Hasn’t Apple abandoned the whole Genius thing? It seemed to me that the Genius Bar is basically gone. You can still get help, and they fix stuff, but it’s not what it was when Apple Stores opened 20 years ago.

Well dang, that's a huge bummer. To be fair I bought my first Apple product about 15 years ago.

Re: Apple's union-busting practices violated employee rights at NYC store

#32

Post by lokar »

sircastor wrote: post #21
foxyv wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

A huge part of the Apple marketing are their retail locations and "Geniuses." A great deal of the reason I bought my first Apple product was because of an employee in an Apple Store.

Hasn’t Apple abandoned the whole Genius thing? It seemed to me that the Genius Bar is basically gone. You can still get help, and they fix stuff, but it’s not what it was when Apple Stores opened 20 years ago.

I suspect the general level of tech competence in the public has improved combined with most sales being much simpler phones (vs computers).

Re: Apple's union-busting practices violated employee rights at NYC store

#33

Post by brookside »

balozi wrote: post #23

Why doe Apple maintain retail stores anyway?

Having a place to go when one has a tech issue is a huge value addition for many Apple users.

Repairs can be expensive (the solutions will lean towards "replace the entire motherboard"). But help at the genius bar from a real human can also be free.

Compare this experience of what options one has if a hardware issue, or some software question, with a dell laptop.

Availability of help at Apple stores is one reason I steer non-tech relatives towards Apple products, and helps justify premium pricing.

Re: Apple's union-busting practices violated employee rights at NYC store

#34

Post by jvmfjvfjvf »

ethbr0 wrote: post #17
lscdlscd wrote: post #2

Just goes to show how effective unionizing is. Power to those workers! They're a key part in making Apple one of the most valuable companies in the world. They deserve a fair share.

Indeed. Companies hate unions because they increase labor costs and benefits. Does anyone really think corporate anti-union talking points are in their workers' best interest? Unions have their faults (e.g. bureaucracy), but corporations aren't fighting them for their employees' benefit.

Well, Walmart non union workers still have their jobs while the ones that did unionize all lost theirs.

Re: Apple's union-busting practices violated employee rights at NYC store

#35

Post by treeman79 »

93po wrote: post #28
ethbr0 wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Indeed. Companies hate unions because they increase labor costs and benefits. Does anyone really think corporate anti-union talking points are in their workers' best interest? Unions have their faults (e.g. bureaucracy), but corporations aren't fighting them for their employees' benefit.

> Does anyone really think corporate anti-union talking points are in their workers' best interest? Yes, usually at least half the workforce. But but but the monthly dues!!!

[flagged]

Re: Apple's union-busting practices violated employee rights at NYC store

#36

Post by InitialLastName »

Eumenes wrote: post #12
lscdlscd wrote: post #2

Just goes to show how effective unionizing is. Power to those workers! They're a key part in making Apple one of the most valuable companies in the world. They deserve a fair share.

They are effective indeed, esp. as political donations go - who would've thought the carpenters union donates more to political initiatives than Oracle? https://www.opensecrets.org/elections-overview/top-organizat...

This doesn't seem shocking to me?

Per [0] Oracle has ~100,000 employees and $6B in income. Per [1] the United Brotherhood of Carpenters has ~500,000 members; per [2] (yes, I'm aware this doesn't cover all of the occupations represented by the union, and some members will not be in the US) they have a mean income of ~$60,000, meaning the total income represented by the union could be ~$30B. That the union barely edges Oracle for political spending suggest that they punching well below their weight, relative to income.

[0] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oracle_Corporation [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_Brotherhood_of_Carpente... [2] https://www.bls.gov/oes/current/oes472031.htm

Re: Apple's union-busting practices violated employee rights at NYC store

#37

Post by lotsofpulp »

onion2k wrote: post #22
40yearoldman wrote: post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

[flagged]

Yet think currently the top 1% is paying over 50% of all taxes. There's a few things to consider with this statement. First, and most importantly, everyone in the US who has more than $1m is in the top 1% by wealth, including assets. That illustrates how little money most people have. Secondly, the top 1% captured 54% of the wealth generated in the last decade, so paying 50% of the tax sounds about right. Lastly, we'…

> everyone in the US who has more than $1m is in the top 1% by wealth, including assets.

88th percentile for $1M net worth including home.

https://dqydj.com/net-worth-percentile-calculator-united-sta...

90.5th percentile excluding home.

It is 99th percentile until age 35 to age 39 though.

https://dqydj.com/net-worth-by-age-calculator-united-states/

Re: Apple's union-busting practices violated employee rights at NYC store

#38

Post by sequoia »

nonethewiser wrote: post #18
JimtheCoder wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"They're a key part in making Apple one of the most valuable companies in the world." ...

Virtually all companies oppose unionization. Am I to believe that all these companies are doing so out of sheer incompetence?

No, it is in the best interest of companies extract as much labour value from workers for as little expenditure of payroll as possible. This is not in the best interest of the workers, however. The interests of the workers and those of the employer diverge on this point and both are working, rationally, for opposing goals.

If you’re in a fight and you have a weapon but your opponent is unarmed, of course you would oppose your opponent being given a weapon as that’s not in your best interest. Your opponent may see things differently, just as the employer and employees see things differently in this situation. Apple's opponent is currently unarmed, and Apple doesn't want to see them armed with the weapon of collective bargaining.

Re: Apple's union-busting practices violated employee rights at NYC store

#39

Post by pierat »

nonethewiser wrote: post #18
JimtheCoder wrote: post #4

Earlier quoted context omitted.

"They're a key part in making Apple one of the most valuable companies in the world." ...

Virtually all companies oppose unionization. Am I to believe that all these companies are doing so out of sheer incompetence?

These companies need to remember that NLRB and unionization was an agreement to take harsh violence off the table.

In the old days, when First International and IWW was created, unionization efforts were to "set the bosses house on fire, with them in it", "pass out rifles to all workers and shoot up the bosses house", assaults, bombs.. you name it.

That's also where we have the paramilitary force, Pinkertons. They were hired by the bosses to do the same thing to the union organizers.

These companies have NO problem violating the meager federal law protections for workers. And to boot, there's basically no penalties. When things get bad enough, just watch for the "whoopsies", subvert sabotage, and direct violence against bosses and against property.

Companies have forgotten about the older pact with unions to remove violence, and then now commit economic violence (destitution, starvation, etc). Maybe they should be reminded?

Re: Apple's union-busting practices violated employee rights at NYC store

#40

Post by Kiro »

notwhereyouare wrote: post #24
0x5345414e wrote: post #15

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Yeah I’m not sure I agree with that statement either…

let go all of the employees that work for apple an see how long they are still in business. Don't think the CEO is making their iphones on the line

We're talking about Apple Stores, not Apple in general. I'm sure Apple would be fine if they closed all stores.
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