May 13 (Reuters) - Apple ( AAPL ) employees at a New

Jersey retail store have voted against joining a union,

potentially stifling momentum for a push to organize the tech

giant's workforce nationwide.

Workers at the store in Short Hills, New Jersey, voted 57-41

against joining the Communication Workers of America (CWA) union

in an election that ended on Saturday, according to a tally from

the National Labor Relations Board.

It was the first union election at an Apple ( AAPL ) store since

2022, when workers at a pair of stores in Maryland and Oklahoma

voted to unionize.

Since then, the CWA has withdrawn petitions to hold

elections at several stores and accused Apple ( AAPL ) of illegally

discouraging unions.

Apple ( AAPL ) did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In a statement last month responding to a petition to hold the

election at the Short Hills store, the company said it provided

"top tier" pay and benefits to retail workers.

The CWA did not immediately respond to a request for

comment. The union has five days to file objections to the

election results, such as arguments that Apple ( AAPL ) engaged in

illegal labor practices prior to the vote.

The CWA last week filed a complaint with the NLRB accusing

Apple ( AAPL ) of retaliating against a leader of the campaign in Short

Hills by subjecting him to meetings with managers and denying

his request for time off.

That came days after the labor board in a separate case said

the manager of an Apple ( AAPL ) store in Manhattan had violated a

worker's rights by asking whether he supported an ongoing union

campaign. At least three dozen other complaints from the union

are pending at the board. Apple ( AAPL ) has denied wrongdoing in those

cases.