Apple’s vice president of people and retail Deirdre O’Brien discouraged workers from joining the union, in an internal video that was leaked to press.
“I worry about what it would mean to put another organisation in the middle of our relationship,” she says.
“An organisation that does not have a deep understanding of Apple or our business. And most importantly one that I do not believe shares our commitment to you.”
Workers at three retail stores in the US are currently in the midst of unionising. O’Brien says this process will hamper the employer/worker feedback loop.
“Apple moves incredibly fast,” she said, “it’s one thing I love about our work in retail.
“It means that we need to be able to move fast too. And I worry that because the union will bring its own legally mandated rules that would determine how we work through issues it could make it harder for us to act swiftly to address things that you raise.
“I’m committed to and proud of our ability to act fast to support our teams, to support you. But I don’t know that we could have moved as quickly under a collective bargaining agreement, as it could limit our ability to make immediate widespread changes to improve your experience. And I think that’s what really is at stake here.”