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The Apple logo is seen during the preview of the redesigned and reimagined Apple Fifth Avenue store in New York on Sept. 19, 2019. (REUTERS/Brendan McDermid/File Photo)
Apple to shutter its first unionized US store in MD
Listen to this articleApple said on Thursday that it will shut down its retail store in Towson, the first of its U.S. locations where retail employees successfully unionized in 2022.
The iPhone maker described the decision as “difficult,” citing the departure of several retailers and what it called worsening conditions at the Towson Town Center mall as key reasons for the closure.
Apple said Towson employees will be eligible to apply for open roles at the company.
In 2022, more than 100 Apple workers in Towson voted to join the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers (IAM) union, marking a milestone for unionization at major U.S. corporations such as Amazon and Starbucks. Around the same time, a similar union drive in Atlanta was withdrawn, with Apple workers alleging intimidation.
The IAM Union said Thursday it is “outraged” by Apple’s decision to close the store, and that it was exploring all legal options.
“Apple’s claim that the collective bargaining agreement prevents relocation is simply false and raises serious concerns that this closure is a cynical attempt to bust the union,” the union said.
Apple also plans to shutter stores at Trumbull Mall in Connecticut and the North County Mall in California, with employees continuing their roles at nearby Apple Retail stores.
Reporting by Fabiola Arámburo, Mrinmay Dey in Mexico City; editing by Sherry Jacob-Phillips.
