Hello,
As the bargaining process continues, what has become clear is that Appleâs original timeline of a ballot in early September doesnât appear likely. Apple has only just begun to acknowledge and respond to union claims, and it seems like there is plenty more back and forth to be had. Today was the eighth bargaining meeting and an unusually short one at that.
Appleâs comments on the last meeting
Apple started the meeting by sharing some thoughts on the previous meeting, which if you remember came with some heavy criticism and allegations. Apple reiterated its values of open communication and inclusion; it then expressed that language used in the last meeting was âinappropriate and not warrantedâ and was inconsistent with Appleâs values and culture. Apple shared that they received messages of support following the prior meeting. Apple asked bargaining representatives to be respectful and mindful of the language used in bargaining meetings.
Apple then responded to a decision not to include cultural leave in the draft EA and specifically the comment that it was âan insult to Appleâs diverse community of employeesâ. Apple said that cultural leave is not in the NES or in any awards, but said it was interested in looking at it from a worldwide perspective. Despite this, without further understanding or research, Apple doesnât believe that it should include cultural leave types in the NEA. Apple again reiterated its efforts and policies around Inclusion & Diversity. â More on this later.
Apple then commented on the prior discussion of distributing the log of claims among all employees. Apple has committed to distributing the log of claims, including their status, via the People site and via email.
RAFFWU and SDA speak on their log of claims
Apple invited RAFFWU to speak about any points in their log of claims; RRAFWU indicated they did not feel they had anything to add or explain, and invited bargaining representatives to ask any questions:
A question was asked about RAFFWUâs proposed cultural leave and other leave types and if/how these apply to people who fall outside of the coverage of eligible team. RAFFWU pointed out that the intention of cultural leave is to provide leave to people who do not identify with the traditional Judeo-Christian faiths and do not have entitlements to take leave during cultural events that would not fall on a public holiday. The question was further elaborated to describe cultural leave as being potentially exclusive to certain employees, RAFFWU responded by pointing out that certain leave types like blood donation leave are exclusive by nature but that they are open to other solutions for cultural leave.
Apple then asked RAFFWU to clarify points on discriminatory pay rates, allowances to work from home, and 4-day weeks.
Apple then invited the SDA to speak about their log of claims and invited questions:
The SDA echoed sentiment by the ASU in the previous meeting regarding the scheduling of bargaining meetings, asking for meetings to be scheduled in consultation with bargaining representatives.
The SDA requested a meeting to specifically discuss the classification of job roles under the proposed EA.
The SDA emphasised that its members took issue mostly with scheduling/rostering, leave types, and customer abuse and violence. The SDA also proposed a meeting with Apple to discuss customer abuse and the provisions in place to deal with customer aggression, as well as record keeping of these incidents. Leave provisions were brought up again, with the union asking the company not to overlook leave claims.
At this point in the WebEx chat many bargaining representatives began discussing the various leave entitlements afforded in other countries that Apple operates in. Notably: menstrual leave in Singapore, Thailand, and Taiwan; Marriage leave in Singapore and Taiwan; Hajj leave in the UAE; and Higher Education leave in Germany.
Further clarification was sought by Apple regarding the SDAâs claim to minimum time between shifts. The SDA clarified that it would like team to be paid at overtime rates if they are unable to receive the requisite 12 hours between shifts, until they do.
Additional logs of claimâŠand an abrupt end
One bargaining representative was given time to raise a claim asking for expanded health benefits to family members and the option to choose health care providers.
Apple then announced that the next meeting will be to allow the ASU to discuss their log of claims on Thursday September 8. Apple then moved to end the meeting while several bargaining representatives still had their hands raised. RAFFWU attempted to stop the meeting from ending, but it was cut short and the meeting was ended.
Apple will no doubt face scrutiny in the next meeting regarding the sudden ending of todayâs meeting. Whether or not this was intentional, it doesnât show Apple in a good light and potentially casts doubt on their ability to bargain in good faith. We look forward to Appleâs response to all of this and more.
We will continue to keep you updated on the latest bargaining meetings and any other meetings with the unions.
In solidarity,
Apple Together Australia