Towson Town Center Apple Store (Source: Apple)
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Workers at Apple Towson Town Center Stores in Maryland supported their union's plan to strike over unresolved issues.
The Towson store unionized in 2022 and said it was frustrated by Apple's lack of response to concerns. In early 2024, unions at the store conducted an independent survey and reported Apple's alleged illegal anti-union activities.
Now, according to CNBC, the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (AIM) union reports that store workers have voted to authorize a strike. “Issues at the forefront of this action include concerns about work-life balance,” the union said in a statement, “unpredictable scheduling practices that interfere with privacy, and wages not keeping up with the cost of living in the region.”
The vote was intended to give the union a mandate to strike, rather than specific dates such as dates. With this mandate, the union will now set a date for a work stoppage unless Apple's response means a strike is no longer deemed necessary.
“We will work with the union that represents our Towson team with respect and good faith,” an Apple spokeswoman said.
Apple has previously strongly opposed the practice of unionization in its stores. Apple retail chief Deirdre O'Brien said that putting “another organization at the center of our relationship [with retail staff] could fundamentally change the company's 'open, collaborative and direct engagement'.”
However, retail staff questioned this description of the relationship between Apple and its employees. One employee summed up the working conditions by saying that complaining to Apple is “like writing a letter to Santa.”
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