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The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) has filed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against Apple, alleging the company unlawfully discriminated against unionized workers at its Towson, Md., retail store.
The Towson store is the first unionized Apple retail location in the United States, where workers are represented by the IAM Union.
According to the charge, Apple has denied Towson employees the ability to access transfer rights and other opportunities provided to non-represented employees affected by store closures at other locations. The IAM Union alleges that these actions, taken in retaliation for workers’ protected union activity, constitute discrimination in violation of federal labor law.
The ULP charge follows Apple’s decision to close the Towson store while offering transfer opportunities to employees at two non-union Apple stores closing in the same timeframe. Towson workers, by contrast, have been told they must reapply for positions through 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.”
The Towson store employs nearly 90 workers and serves as a key retail and service hub for the Baltimore region, providing critical access to Apple products and support for students, working families, and small businesses.
The IAM Union is calling on Apple to reverse course and treat Towson workers fairly.
