Apple in the US are maintaining their efforts to halt their retail stores from unionising, trying to avoid the worker situation in companies such as Starbucks Corp and Amazon.com Inc.

With around 270 retail outlets, managers have held meetings with staff, stressing the risks of unionisation. They have provided a planned update on the bargaining between the company and the first unionised store in Maryland. There is also a unionised store in Oklahoma City.

Months ago, Apple’s retail chief sent a video to staff members about this situation, and the company have caused labour concern by withholding new benefits from unionised locations.

In the meetings, managers told their workers that the union representing staff in Maryland requested dues that comprised 1.5 per cent of their pay, pointing out how this could add up across time.

They also pointed out that unions could make changes without staff consent, which is something Apple retail chief Deirdre O’Brien said last year, also telling staff that a store in St Louis had halted their efforts to unionise as they thought union reps were allegedly misleading them.

Along with other messages, Apple seem to basically be telling their retail staff that if their store unionises they may be at a disadvantage.

In recent talks with their Maryland retailer, the store made around 20 proposals, Apple made just two. They tentatively agreed to a non-discrimination policy, and rejected the idea of moving pay to a weekly basis rather than a fortnightly one as is current procedure.

There are ongoing negotiations regarding health and safety, as well as extra training for staff who may see their jobs replaced by new tech, and what happens if a store shuts down.

In the meantime, Apple proposed a new five-page management rights clause, as well as an attendance policy to discipline staff for being late to work.

So far, the union haven’t accepted the proposals. They have, however, told employees they are still working on holiday time, severance packages and pay increases.