Apple, $AAPL, storefront employees in Maryland have secured the first-ever tentative union contract at $AAPL

Apple, $AAPL, storefront employees in Maryland have secured the first-ever tentative union contract at $AAPL.

The deal is pending approval by approximately 85 employees in the bargaining unit, who are scheduled to vote on it on August 6. The agreement includes provisions on scheduling, severance, and subcontracting, and stipulates that any disciplinary actions cannot be "arbitrary, capricious, or without merit," according to an IAM spokesperson. The three-year contract will provide an average pay increase of 10% while maintaining the current benefits for healthcare, retirement, and staffing, the union reported.

The Maryland store is one of only two unionized Apple locations among the company's roughly 270 U.S. stores. Both sites were unionized in 2022, and contract negotiations are also ongoing at an Oklahoma City store represented by the Communications Workers of America (CWA).

Both the IAM and CWA have been working to expand their union presence to other Apple locations across the country, though these efforts have yet to yield significant results. The outcome of the Maryland contract negotiations could either spur or dampen interest in unionizing at other stores.

In an emailed statement, the IAM’s negotiating committee expressed its intention to "build on this success in store after store and grow the power" established at the Towson, Maryland site. "We are giving our members a voice in their futures and a strong first step toward further gains," the statement read.

In May, employees at the Towson store voted to authorize a potential strike, alleging that the company was not negotiating fairly.

An Apple spokesperson declined to comment on the agreement. The company has stated it is committed to engaging with the union "respectfully and in good faith."