Apple is again accused of hampering workers' attempts to organize. Credit: Lorenz Heymann/Unsplash
0 Facebook x.com Reddit
The National Labor Relations Board has received a new complaint accusing Apple of restricting, controlling, and interfering with workers' rights through illegal rules regarding the use of Slack.
The complaint filed with the NLRB alleges that Apple's social media policy prohibits workers from creating new Slack channels, requiring workplace issues to be escalated to either a manager or an established “People Support” channel. The company said in a statement that it “strongly disagrees” with the new requirements and is committed to maintaining a “positive and inclusive work environment.”
The new charge follows a complaint filed earlier in October that accused Apple of forcing employees to sign illegal confidentiality, non-disclosure, and non-compete agreements. Now, the NLRB says Apple can enforce what the board calls “overbroad” misconduct and social media policies.
What's Old Is New Again
The latest case alleging interference with employee rights on social media is a follow-up to the nearly three-year-old case of Janneke Parrish. She was fired by Apple in 2021 for her employee and union activism, which included using Slack and other social media.
Parrish has previously accused Apple of discrimination based on gender and race and called for allowing remote workforces created during the COVID pandemic to become permanent positions. She also advocated for permission to distribute an equal pay survey, among other complaints.
In response to previous complaints, Apple has denied the allegations and said it respects its employees’ rights to discuss working conditions, hours, and wages.
In all of the current cases, Apple will need to reach an agreement with the NLRB that addresses its concerns or go before an administrative judge in February. Those decisions will be reviewed by a five-member labor board but can be appealed in federal court, Reuters reports.
“We look forward to holding Apple accountable in court for implementing clearly unlawful policies,” said Laurie Burgess, Parrish’s attorney in the current complaint. “And firing employees for engaging in essential, protected activity in exposing gender discrimination and other civil rights violations that permeate the workplace.”
The new complaint seeks compensation for Parrish's lost income and other financial consequences of her termination, and demands that Apple reverse its allegedly unlawful policies. No hearing date has yet been set for Apple to testify on the latest allegations.
Follow AppleInsider on Google News
