Unionized Towson Apple Store Files Official Complaint With NLRB

TOWSON - Unionized Towson Apple store employees have filed a labor complaint against the tech giant, accusing the company of withholding employees' new education and healthcare benefits.

The Apple Store at 825 Dulaney Valley Rd made history in June by joining the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (IAM CORE). The Towson Apple location was the first store in the country to unionize.

In October, IAM CORE sent Apple CEO Tim Cook a letter stating their disappointment that Apple intends to make new education and health benefits available to non-union employees next year.

On behalf of the Towson Apple employees, IAM CORE filed an Unfair Labor Practice Complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) for excluding IAM members from benefits.

IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan released a statement stating that the union will work to protect Towson Apple workers.

"Our union will fight to ensure all labor laws are followed throughout this negotiation process," Sullivan said. "One of the reasons the employees in Towson joined the IAM was because they knew our union would use every resource to protect them. We are hopeful that this won't be the normal procedure before we sit with Apple at the negotiating table. Our members in Towson want to be heard in the workplace, and securing a first contract will be the first step towards achieving that goal."

In June, the store voted to join IAM 65-33, citing concerns over COVID-19 policy, compensation, and workplace environment.

In its October letter to Apple, IAM stated concerns that the tech company intentionally announced that the new benefits would not be immediately granted to union members days before an Oklahoma Apple store location was scheduled to hold a union vote.

"We are particularly disheartened by the calculated nature of this action, reflected both by its timing (days before the vote by our fellow Apple employees in Oklahoma) and its implementation (initially through anonymous reports to the media)."

The Oklahoma Apple location in question voted to join IAM in mid-October.

According to the National Labor Relations Board, the next step in this process is a hearing before an NLRB judge or a settlement.

"The issuance of a complaint leads to a hearing before an NLRB Administrative Law Judge (unless there is a settlement). After issuing a complaint, the NLRB becomes a representative for the charging party throughout settlement discussions and the Board process."