Employees of the Apple store facing an impending closure allege discrimination and retaliation against workers.
The employees were joined Wednesday morning by union leaders, Baltimore County Council members, Baltimore County NAACP leaders and members of Congress to protest the store’s closure.
The IAM union, which represents the Towson store employees, organized the protest after filing an unfair labor charge against Apple last month, claiming the company discriminated against Towson store employees.
Apple said the decision to close the Towson store — along with stores in Connecticut and California — is due to declining conditions in the malls and shopping centers where they are located.
The Towson store was the first Apple store in the country to unionize. Now, some 90 employees have to reapply for their jobs as outside candidates, unlike employees at the two non-union stores, who are being offered transfers.
“That is retaliation plain and simple,” said IAM International President Brian Bryant. “Shame on you, Apple.”
At the rally, Eric Brown, a sales lead at the Towson store, shared the emotional toll of the closure.
“It has been hard showing up to work every day, knowing the doomsday clock has started,” Brown said.
Video below: Union files unfair labor practice charge against Apple
Fighting back tears, Brown described the impact on his family.
“Right now, my partner is at home with my soon-to-be 3-year-old, and our son who was born less than two weeks ago. Not knowing if I’ll have a job, health insurance, steady paycheck by the time I’m set to return from paternity leave has caused a great deal of stress,” Brown said.
Baltimore County Council members and U.S. Rep. Kweisi Mfume, D-District 7, were among elected leaders who joined union and community members at the protest, urging Apple to reconsider the closure or allow employees to transfer to other stores.
Earlier this month, Maryland’s congressional delegation sent a letter to Apple to request an explanation for the closure. Mfume said Apple has not responded.
“I think Apple doesn’t have a response,” Mfume said. “How can you look at the only unionized store in the nation and say you were shutting it down because there are problems in the mall in an area where you’ve got four colleges and universities with students and others that use their services on a regular basis. They are trying to do union-busting here.”
An Apple representative sent a statement to WBAL-TV 11 News, saying: “We strongly disagree with the claims made, and we will continue to abide by the agreement that was negotiated and agreed with the union.”
We will continue to abide by the agreement that was negotiated and agreed with the union.
Apple said the union agreed to a contract that specifies that in the event of a mall or store closure, Apple would transfer or rehire employees if Apple opened a new store within 50 miles of Towson’s current location and that, otherwise, the union negotiated for severance.
Apple said it currently has no plans to relocate in the area, but if it did, Towson store employees would have the right of first refusal.
Brown disputed Apple’s claims, saying the union agreement doesn’t prevent opportunities to transfer.
“Apple offers severance to all of their employees, not just what we negotiated. So, to say that it’s based on the severance is just false,” Brown said. “There’s nothing in our contract that says that we have to be terminated upon the store closing.”
Union leaders said they’re sending a petition to Apple’s CEO and they’re encouraging customers to complain about the closure and employee treatment on Apple’s website.
Union representatives said they will continue to fight Apple in court, at the collective bargaining table, in Congress and through community protests.
The Towson Apple store is scheduled to close on June 20, according to IAM Union leaders.
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