The majority of Apple Store employees in the United States have voted to form a union. It is the first time that staff from the American tech company, which has always discouraged such moves, have united.
Of the 110 employees at the Townson, Maryland store, 65 voted in favor and 33 against. The count was broadcast live by the federal agency that oversaw the vote.
A group of employees called AppleCORE (Apple’s Coalition of Organized Retail Employees) campaigned for the creation of a union. They demand a say in wages, working hours and safety measures.
The decision in Townson could lead to workers at other Apple stores in the US also joining a union. The labor movement has been trying to get Apple and other major tech companies to unite for some time, but so far without much success.
At the beginning of April, employees of an Amazon warehouse in New York agreed to form a union, a first for the group in the US. However, Amazon has asked for the result to be canceled and a second vote to be held.
Apple declined to comment on the vote in Townson.