Apple closes its first unionized US store in Towson, Maryland, sparking retaliation claims

Apple has permanently closed the Towson Town Center store in Maryland, the first Apple retail location in the United States to successfully unionize. The closure, which took effect around June 21, is now the subject of an unfair labor practice charge filed with the National Labor Relations Board.

The store’s roughly 70 unionized employees organized under the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers in June 2022, making national headlines at the time. Now, over half of those workers have reportedly lost their jobs, with the majority offered no transfer to other Apple locations.

What Apple says, and what the union says

Apple attributed the shutdown to “declining conditions” at the Towson Town Center mall. The company pointed to a wave of retailer departures from the shopping center, rising local crime rates, and the broader shift toward online shopping as justification for pulling the plug.

The IAM sees it differently. The union filed its charge with the NLRB alleging that Apple retaliated against workers specifically for their organizing efforts.

The Towson store had been operational since 2002, meaning Apple ran the location for more than two decades before deciding conditions had become untenable. The unionization vote happened in 2022.

Political fallout is already building

Maryland congressional representatives, including Kweisi Mfume, have publicly demanded accountability from Apple over the closure. Their primary concern centers on the lack of relocation options provided to affected employees.

If the NLRB finds merit in the IAM’s complaint, it could issue a formal complaint against Apple, potentially requiring the company to reinstate workers or provide back pay.

Apple closed two other retail stores alongside the Towson location, which the company may use as evidence that the Maryland shutdown was part of a broader portfolio decision rather than a targeted strike against union activity.

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