The union breaches the US and also takes Apple out

The union breaks through the US and also bites into Apple, the latest in a series of large companies to see the birth of a 'union' of workers, after Amazon and Starbucks, confirming a national trend that is beginning to worry Silicon Valley but also stores retail and restaurants.

A new phenomenon, going against the trend after a long crisis of members and representation, matured in the years of the pandemic, when the increased insecurities and socio-economic inequalities have exacerbated the need among workers to unite to negotiate wages, benefits, organization of shifts, parental leave, anti Covid security measures.

A trend opposed by employers even with threats and intimidation, but encouraged by Joe Biden, who defines himself as the "most pro-union" president in US history.

The breakthrough at Apple took place in a store in Tonwson, in the Baltimore, Maryland area, where 65 out of 98 employees voted in favor of the request to create a union (30% of employee signatures needed), the first of the hi-tech giant in the USA.

The new Apple Core union - short for a coalition of organized retail employees - had written an open letter in May to CEO Tim Cook explaining that its goal was to "gain access to the rights we don't now have", without however "going against or create conflicts with our management ".

"A historic victory, which shows a growing demand for unions in Apple stores and in different industries across our nation," commented Robert Martinez.

president of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, the union that supported the initiative and to which the new 'union' of Apple workers will join.

The hope is to have paved the way for more than 270 stores in the US.

Two stores, in New York and Atlanta, have already moved in the same direction but in the capital of Georgia the process has been postponed after the company has been accused of anti-union activities.

Activities that more or less all large companies have in common, which try to intimidate or discourage employees from creating unions, even threatening the loss of benefits.

As did Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz, who hinted at granting upcoming benefits only to non-union workers,

after the first union in a New York club was born in December, infecting the rest of the chain.

In April, however, it was the turn of an Amazon warehouse, also in the same city.

But the trade union movement has also conquered other fields, such as the network of indoor stores Rei, the video game producer Raven Software, the magazines Condé Nast 'New Yorker' and 'Wired'.

A battle openly supported not only by socialist senator Bernie Sanders but also by Biden, who received the courageous founder of the first Amazon union and his other colleagues from American giants at the White House in May.

"This country was built not by Wall Street but by the unions, which created the middle class," the president explained, denouncing the further enrichment of the scroungers during the pandemic "while the Americans lined up for food."

"An administration controlled by the unions," accused Elon Musk, one of the scroungers who opposes unions in his Tesla.

Although much less widespread than in Europe, trade unions are nevertheless making a comeback, unveiling a