Tech giant Apple announced Thursday it will close its retail location in Towson, Maryland – the same store where employees made history by forming the company’s first union in the United States back in 2022.
The iPhone manufacturer called the closure decision “difficult,” pointing to deteriorating conditions at Towson Town Center mall and multiple retailer departures as the primary factors behind shutting down operations.
More than 100 Apple retail workers at the Towson location successfully voted to join the International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers union in 2022, representing a significant victory for labor organizing efforts at major corporations like Amazon and Starbucks.
The company stated that affected Towson employees will have opportunities to apply for available positions elsewhere within Apple.
However, the IAM Union expressed strong opposition to the closure announcement Thursday, stating they are “outraged” and examining every available legal remedy.
“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 declared.
Around the same period as the successful Towson unionization effort, Apple workers in Atlanta attempted similar organizing but ultimately withdrew their campaign, with employees alleging company intimidation tactics.
Apple also revealed plans to close additional retail locations at Trumbull Mall in Connecticut and North County Mall in California, though workers at those stores will transfer to other nearby Apple retail outlets.
