Even if the minimum wage is set greater in certain places, the Journal study doesn’t explain why. Emails sent to Apple by various media outlets enquiring about minimum wage increases in several areas were not promptly returned.

Unionization Attempts at NYC Might Be The Cause

Apple’s tiny salary increase for commercial store employees is likely a reaction to both severe pricing (a staggering 8.5% in March) and unionization attempts, including one famous push in New York. A $30 minimum pay and perks including “additional holiday leave, plus proper pension alternatives” have been requested by employees at Apple’s Grand Central Terminal office. The United States is the only developed nation without a national system of mandated paid time off. Apple has used the identical anti-union rhetoric that has been used by practically every other tech corporation to deter employees from forming a union. A video illustrating Cupertino’s anti-union stance was released this week, demonstrating the firm’s desperation to prevent unionization from gaining hold.

Apple isn’t the Only One

When compared to, for example, ten years ago, why are employees more engaged in unions today? One benefit employees presently have is that companies are having difficulty hiring staff. With nearly a million Americans killed by the covid-19 epidemic, it’s hardly surprising that there are fewer employees to occupy the low-paying positions where the epidemic was most likely to strike. Although the outbreak isn’t the only reason for the labor scarcity, most individuals have come to recognize that their employers aren’t going to watch out for their best interests in the aftermath of so many deaths in the United States. Workers must take responsibility for this. And forming a union is often the best approach to do so.