It's so far beyond the pale, I earnestly believe they've likely been set up to look ridiculous. They've probably been fed this horrible idea by Apple, or a cov

It's so far beyond the pale, I earnestly believe they've likely been set up to look ridiculous. They've probably been fed this horrible idea by Apple, or a covert union buster (Pinkertons, etc) hired by Apple. To ask for tips makes the union look completely unreasonable and out of touch, which is good for Apple. If they were doing as you say, asking for something they're unlikely to get as a negotiation tactic, they should have asked for commissions. Salesmen getting commissions would be perceived as completely reasonable. It degrade the customer experience by making the salesmen pushier, but commission for salesmen is totally conventional while tips for salesmen is pants-on-head dumb and bizarre.