Following Apple’s decision to close its first unionized store, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM Union) filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board. Here are the details.
Apple accused of anti-union
Earlier this month, Apple announced its decision to close three stores: Apple Towson Town Center in Towson (MD), Apple North County in Escondido (CA) and Apple Trumbull in Trumbull (CT).
In all three cases, the company said it had made the decision after citing declining conditions and the departure of other retailers from the shopping centers where the stores are located.
After the news broke, the decision to close Apple Towson Town Center quickly drew attention, as it was the first Apple retail store in the US to unionize.
Additionally, Apple said employees at the Trumbull and North County stores would be able to continue their duties at nearby locations, while Towson workers would be “eligible to apply for open positions at Apple in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement.”
In view of this, the IAM Union pushed backsaying the move raised “serious concerns” that the closure was a “cynical attempt to bust the union.” IAM Union also said it would explore “all legal options and work with elected officials and allies to hold Apple accountable.”
Today, the IAM Union filed an unfair labor practice charge before the National Labor Relations Board, accusing Apple of discriminating against Towson employees by refusing to allow them to move to other locations.
From the charging document:
On April 9, 2026, Apple announced the closure of its store located in the Towson Town Center (…). Since that date, it has denied Towson employees, who are represented by IAM, from taking advantage of transfer rights and other opportunities provided to unrepresented employees affected by store closures in other locations. Through these and other actions taken in retaliation for activities protected under the Act, Apple has discriminated against IAM-represented workers with respect to their terms and conditions of employment to discourage them from exercising their rights under the Act.
In addition to the presentation, the IAM Union also held a press conference today, during which it reiterated its call Apple “reverse course and treat Towson workers fairly.”
IAM Union International President Brian Bryant added:
“It’s about whether workers are treated fairly under the law or punished for exercising their rights. (…) Apple is denying union-represented workers the same opportunities it is giving others, and it is doing so because these workers decided to organize. That is discrimination, and it is exactly what federal labor law is designed to prevent.”
You can read the IAM union’s unfair labor practice charge below:
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