The Towson Takedown: Union Files Bias Charge Over Apple Store Closure
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The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Union has officially filed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge against Apple.
The IAM Union represents the employees working at Apple’s soon-to-be-closed retail store in Towson, Maryland. In a filing on Monday the union accused Apple of unlawful discrimination against unionized workers. The Towson store became the first US Apple retail location to unionize in 2022.
Earlier this month, Apple announced plans to close its Towson retail location along with two others in Connecticut and California. The three are located in struggling shopping malls among other stores that are slowly shuttering, resulting in lost foot traffic.
When Apple closes a store, it typically offers to move affected workers to positions at other nearby retail locations. However, in this case Apple claims the union rules at the Towson store are preventing it from doing so. Instead, Apple has announced that employees from the Towson location are “eligible to apply for open roles at Apple in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement.”
When Apple announced its plans, the IAM Union posted a statement saying that it was “outraged” by Apple’s decision about how to handle Towson employees. The union echoed previous claims of Apple’s union-busting tactics, adding there was nothing in the store’s labor agreement that would prevent moving employees to other stores.
“The IAM Union is outraged by Apple’s decision to close its Towson, Md., store — the first unionized Apple retail location in the United States — and abandon both its workers and a community that relies on it for critical services and its unique access to public transit. Apple’s claim that the collective bargaining agreement prevents relocation is simply false and raises serious concerns that this closure is a cynical attempt to bust the union. We are exploring all legal options and will work with elected officials and allies to hold Apple accountable. We stand with our IAM Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (IAM CORE) members and the community that depends on this store for essential access and support.”
In Monday’s filing, the IAM Union complained that while Apple allowed the employees at the other two (non-union) stores being shuttered to transfer to other locations, Towson’s unionized employees were being forced to reapply for positions following the same process as external candidates.
“This is about whether workers are treated fairly under the law or punished for exercising their rights,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “Apple is denying union-represented workers the same opportunities it is giving to others — and doing so because these workers chose to organize. That is discrimination, and it is exactly what federal labor law is designed to prevent.”
To make matters worse, Apple doesn’t appear to be doing anything to streamline the reapplication process. Workers from Apple Towson Town Center have expressed frustration in applying for positions at other stores, with many saying they’ve been rejected out of hand without even being called for an interview. Staff from the Towson location who have made it to the interview stage also say they’ve been lumped into group interviews with people who have never worked at an Apple Store before.
The union has asked Apple to reverse its decision and allow Towson workers to transfer to other retail locations, just like the workers at the other two affected stores.
As for Apple, it issued the following statement to MacRumors about the IAM Union the complaint:
We strongly disagree with the claims made, and we will continue to abide by the agreement that was negotiated and agreed with the union. We look forward to presenting all of the facts to the NLRB.
Apple is reportedly saying a severance clause in the contract negates any right to protected transfer. However, the union claims that the clause is situational and that the required criteria for it to activate had not been met.
