The move comes against the backdrop of unionisation efforts
gaining momentum at large US corporations, including Amazon and Starbucks.
The report said employee groups at at least two Apple retail
stores are backed by major national unions and are preparing to file paperwork
with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in the near future.
At least six more locations are at less advanced stages in
the unionisation process, the report said, adding that Apple employees more
than 65,000 retail workers.
Apple and the NLRB did not immediately respond to Reuters
requests for comment.
Apple has 270 stores in the country and made 36 percent of
its total $365.82 billion net sales in fiscal 2021 through its retail stores
and website, according to a regulatory filing.
Its boss Tim Cook's pay last year was 1,447 times that of
the average employee at the tech giant, fueled by stock awards that helped him
earn a total of nearly $100 million.
The company had decided to temporarily shutter several
outlets across the United States during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Last year, it planned to give store workers one-time bonus
of as much as $1,000, Bloomberg News had reported in September, amid tight
labour market conditions and unrest among employees. © Reuters