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Comment by somenewaccount1 | Hacker News Reader

The main benefit mentioned in the article is a $400 annual credit to Coursera. Everything else is "some education" or "some doctors", which usually translates to practically nothing useful.

They should have found out what the average pay is for union vs non-union, and then compared if the new benefits actually translated to something meaningful.

My guess is that the union members earn more than $400/yr in cash, and then they can spend it on whatever they want - education, doctors, whatever.

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Benefits were not withheld from the union, they get to negotiate separately. They earned the right to negotiate. Most of the company is under at-will employment.

Non-union Apple employees didn't get to choose those "additional" benefits and didn't have a choice of taking the cash value or bargaining for something else.

Apple has a choice here - they can offer the benefits freely or withhold them to try to extract something else from a negotiation. If offered freely the union could still reject them, and try to extract something else instead at the next negotiation. If the union did that it would at least raise the question of whether the money spent on those benefits might have more utility providing something else for the workforce.

A union will almost always eschew a contingent, quirky perk like 'Coursera credit' in favor of a smaller increase in take home pay, anyway.

Rightfully so. My company provides a whole list of “benefits” nobody ever uses. I much prefer cash.

To be fair, when benefits meet your goals, it could be very good deal. For example 401k matching is the same cash in your pocket, but without tax. Good health care plan, especially when you have family is worth much more than cash and also doesn't add to tax base. In some states you pay more than half off what you make in taxes, so making something a benefit is a convenient way of legally saving on said tax

I sincerely doubt anyone whose primary income is working as a retail employee is getting taxed anywhere near a 50% marginal tax rate, even if you include city/county/state taxes.

410k and health care are fine. I am talking about stuff like legal advice or health hotline. They are promoted as benefit but usually useless once you try to use them.

It sounds more to me like they're offering college credit and improved healthcare plans; both of which are expensive and something you'd want. The coursera thing isn't the main benefit at all

> The company told retail and corporate staff this week that it will increase benefits for outside educational classes and health care, according to people familiar with the matter. Workers will get more funds to pursue coursework, and employees in some states will be able to access new health plan benefits,

If you read the article they are offering better healthcare options in a few states (not the one where the upcoming union vote is) and to pay for their tuition reimbursement in advance rather than as a reimbursement. The Coursera thing is in fact the main new/universal benefit.

Does this mean those employees getting the online credits for Coursera can do the course of their choice during work time?

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