Apple closing 3 stores, including its first-ever unionized location, sparking union-busting claims

Apple is closing a trio of Apple Store locations around the country, including the first location of the tech giant’s retail system to unionize.

The company told The Baltimore Sun on Thursday that it will close Apple Stores in Towson, Maryland, Trumbull, Connecticut, and Escondido, California, with the final closures slated for June 11.

The Towson location was Apple’s first unionized Apple Store branch, with workers at that location having done so in 2022.

“As we continue investing to expand and enhance our retail stores and offerings worldwide, we remain deliberate about evaluating our existing locations to ensure that we can meet our customers’ needs in the best way,” Apple told the Sun. 

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Apple added that the “difficult” decision was made after the “departure of several retailers and declining conditions” at the malls where the impacted stores are located.

Benzinga reported that Apple employees at the Trumbull and Escondido locations are being transferred to other nearby locations, whereas the Towson workers were offered the opportunity to apply for open roles with Apple. 

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The company said the collective bargaining agreement prevents it from transferring the roughly 90 Towson workers to other locations.

The closure of the Towson location prompted allegations of union-busting by the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, also known as the IAM Union.

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The IAM said in a statement that it’s “outraged by Apple’s decision to close its Towson, Md., store – the first unionized Apple retail location in the United States – and abandon both its workers and a community that relies on it for critical services and its unique access to public transit.”

“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 IAM Union said, adding that it’s exploring legal options to “hold Apple accountable.”