Union accuses Apple of unlawful discrimination against represented workers

The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) union has accused Apple of unlawful discrimination against unionized employees at the company’s retail store in Towson, Maryland. IAM filed an unfair labor practice complaint against Apple with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) after the company announced on April 9 that it was closing three of its U.S. stores. One of those locations was the Towson outlet, which employed nearly 90 workers and became the first Apple Store in the country to unionize in 2022.

In its complaint, IAM said Apple failed to provide the employees it represented the transfer opportunities it provided to non-union employees at its other stores. Unlike these unrepresented employees, Towson staff were allegedly told they had to reapply for positions using the same process as external candidates. “Apple denies union workers the same opportunities it grants others – and it does so because these workers chose to organize,” the organization said. “This is discrimination, and it’s exactly what federal labor law is supposed to prevent.”

In addition to the Towson location, Apple also closed its stores in Trumbull, CT, Escondito, CA. When the closures were announced, IAM stated that “Apple’s claim that the collective bargaining agreement prevents offshoring is simply false and raises serious concerns that [the] the shutdown is a cynical attempt to break up the union.