Apple employees bid for the first union in US stores

Workers at Apple's Grand Central Station store in New York have announced plans to form a union.

A group of workers called Fruit Stand Workers United had to get the signature of the endorsement of 30% of their colleagues at the store to qualify for union selection.

The move follows a union initiative from Starbucks and Amazon. Apple did not comment on the announcement.

A statement from the campaign website about the future union said: "Grand Central is an exclusive business with unique working conditions that make the union necessary to ensure our team has the best standard of living. The group describes itself as operating during "exceptional times with the Covid pandemic." -19 ongoing and one-generation consumer price inflation." However, its website did not reveal the names of the staff who led the effort.

The group said they also wanted a minimum hourly wage of $30 (£23) for all workers, additional rest time, and information on stricter safety protocols at the Grand Central location.

The campaign is linked to the Labor Union, a subsidiary of the national-international service workers union, founded in 2009 by several previous unions.

Apple's efforts come as Starbucks-sponsored unions, backed by the Labor Union, spread across the country after last year's New York election victory.

Amazon is also facing growing challenges from unions after a new campaign won a warehouse election on nearby Staten Island earlier this month.

According to The Washington Post, employees who work at least three other Apple stores are also trying to organize.