‘It feels like a betrayal’: anger as Apple to close US’s first unionized store

Workers at the first Apple store to unionize in the US are pushing back against the company’s decision to shut down the store by June, alleging the company’s decision is rooted in “a cynical attempt to bust the union”.

On Monday, the union filed an unfair labor practice charge against Apple, alleging unionized employees at the store in Towson, Maryland, are being denied transfer rights and other rights compared with workers at non-unionized stores. The union is also alleging retaliation for being unionized.

According to the union, Apple claims the collective bargaining agreement prevents relocation, a claim the union says is “simply false, and raises serious concerns that this closure is a cynical attempt to bust the union” the union said in a statement.

Apple denied the claims in the charge. “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 [National Labor Relations Board],” a spokesperson said in an email.

The union is calling on Apple to reverse the closure decision and calling on customers to support its effort. It has also urged people to contact the company’s board of directors.

“This is about whether workers are treated fairly under the law or punished for exercising their rights,” Brian Bryant, the international president of the IAM union, said in a statement. “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.”

Nearly 90 workers at the store won their union election in June 2022 to join the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (IAM Core).

Ahead of the union election, Eric Brown, an Apple store employee told the Guardian: “We’re trying to make changes to actually have a right to a say in our workplace conditions, in how we’re treated, with pay, and policy changes.”

Workers faced delays in bargaining for a first union contract with Apple, which has opposed unionization and settled several unfair labor practice charges with the NLRB alleging labor law violations. A first union contract was reached in August 2024.

Now Brown and his co-workers are facing layoffs due to the store closure and being forced to reapply for a position with the company elsewhere rather than be transferred.

“This job is more than a job,” said Brown in a press conference about the store closure. “This is a family to us. There’s a reason why, on your last day, we clap you out and wish you a fond farewell, and we say that we’re losing a family. There are people that we built real relationships with, not just showing up to work every day and working side by side. I met my partner there, and we’re having another child next month. So this is a huge impact.”

Brown said the tactic of shutting down a store to avoid dealing with a union was a concern at the bargaining table and said the union had ensured transfer protections were in place.

“It feels like a betrayal,” he added. “Financially, we were doing fine. Foot traffic, we’re doing fine. So there’s no other reason to shut us down then to basically bust up the union.

“That’s why we went in there and negotiated that if you open up a store within 50 miles, that that would essentially be us moving, because we didn’t want them to say, ‘Oh, you know, there’s a downtown Baltimore store. No need for the Towson store. Get out of here.’”

Courtney Jenkins, president of the Metropolitan Baltimore AFL-CIO, criticized the treatment of the unionized workers and the store closure, noting the Apple store in Towson is the only local store accessible by public transit.

“This isn’t just about jobs. It’s about equity, it’s about access, and it’s about whether one of the wealthiest corporations in human history is willing to turn this back on both,” said Jenkins. “Our goal is clear. Relocation, not resignation. Our sisters and brothers in the machinists’ union deserve to keep their jobs, and our community deserves to keep this valuable resource.”

An Apple spokesperson claimed the collective bargaining agreement prohibits transfer rights offered to other stores, claiming the transfer rights are limited if Apple opens a new store within 50 miles.

“Following the departure of several retailers and declining conditions at Trumbull Mall, the Shops at North County, and Towson Town Center, we’ve made the difficult decision to close our stores at these locations. Our team members at Trumbull and North County will continue their roles at nearby Apple retail stores,” the spokesperson said. “Towson employees will be eligible to apply for open roles at Apple in accordance with the collective bargaining agreement.”