Apple Towson employees. Credit: IAMAW
Maryland lawmakers have penned a delegation letter to Apple, asking the tech giant to ask if there were any other paths forward other than closing Apple Towson.
Apple’s battle with its Towson location continues, with Maryland lawmakers stepping in to “express serious concern” over Apple’s choice to close the store. On May 4, lawmakers penned a congressional delegation to Apple, which reads:
“We urge Apple to reconsider whether there are viable paths forward that would preserve jobs and maintain a retail presence in the region,” said the signing members in a letter to Apple.
“Maryland residents value employers who invest in their workforce and demonstrate a sustained commitment to the communities they serve,” the lawmakers said. “We stand ready to engage constructively with Apple to better understand this decision and to explore potential solutions.”
Lawmakers are asking Apple to explain the factors that led to the closure and what research it did on how the closure would affect the employees. It also wants to know what Apple plans to do to help employees who will soon lose their jobs.
The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Union, along with Towson employees, has thanked lawmakers standing with workers.
What led to the charge in the first place
Apple recently announced that it would be closing three of its stores, Apple Trumbull, Apple North County, and Apple Towson. The Towson location was Apple’s first unionized store.
For its part, Apple cited declining conditions and the loss of retailers as the primary reasons for closing. But Towson employees, as well as the IAM Union, don’t think that’s the whole story.
That’s why in late April, IAM filed an unfair labor practice (ULP) charge against Apple. The union has suggested that the closure was retaliatory in nature.
However, the charge isn’t centered around the closing, but rather what happens next.
It claims that Apple unlawfully discriminated against unionized workers, denying them the same job placement rights that the non-unionized stores would receive. Trumbull and North County employees had the option to transfer to other locations.
Towson employees, on the other hand, were invited to apply for open roles at other stores, the same as any other non-employee seeking employment.
Apple would later go on to say that Towson’s union accepted specific rules for rehire under closure. If Apple were to open a new store within 50 miles, Towson would have right of refusal. Otherwise, Apple claims, the employees are to get severance pay only.
Apple’s history with Towson
While it’s not likely that Apple closed the store solely because of the union, it doesn’t mean that Apple didn’t reap the benefits, either. Apple hasn’t hidden the fact that it wants workers to avoid unionization.
The company had went out of its way to ensure that unionized stores didn’t receive benefits it conveniently rolled out while it stalled contract negotiations. Apple’s own retail chief Deirdre O’Brien had released a video directly telling employees that unionization was a net negative, and encouraged workers to seek in-house solutions.
Stephan is the sports journalist for the Maple Grove Report.
