US union and Apple reach tentative labor agreement

(Reuters) -The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (IAM CORE) reached a tentative agreement with tech giant Apple on Friday over improvement in work-life balance, pay raises and job security.

Workers at the Towson, Maryland, Apple retail store will vote on the tentative agreement on Aug. 6.

The tentative three-year agreement includes an average pay raise of 10%, limits on contracted employees and a severance clause, improvement in work-life balance and rules on transparency. The deal will maintain all current benefits and an agreement to bargain over any future additions.

Workers at Apple's Towson store voted in favor of authorizing a strike in May.

In June 2022, Apple workers at Maryland voted to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers union, becoming the first retail employees of the tech giant to unionize in the United States.

Apple did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

(Reporting by Devika Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Stephen Coates and Himani Sarkar)