Apple is moving forward with the permanent closure of three of its stores. However, there’s plenty of noise being made about one of the store closures.
According to Apple, the locations are Apple Trumbull in Trumbull, Connecticut, Apple North County in Escondido, California, and Apple Towson Town Center in Towson, Maryland. All three stores will permanently close this evening.
Apple first announced the store closures in April. At the time, the company said the closures are due to “declining conditions” at the shopping malls where the stores are located.
However, employees at the Apple Towson Town Center location aren’t thrilled.
Back in 2022, those employees became the first Apple retail employees in the U.S. to unionize. They signed a collective bargaining agreement (CBA) with Apple in 2024 and fall under the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers’ Coalition of Organized Retail (IAM CORE).
According to the Apple Towson Town Center employees, Apple is unfairly extending transfer options to the other two locations’ employees while not offering the same options to them. The company said it’s following the terms of the CBA.
The CBA states Apple will transfer or rehire employees if it opened a new store within 50 miles of the existing location. Apple said it has no plans to open a new store in the area.
According to IAM president Brian Bryant, Apple’s decision to close the Towson Town Center is its version of union busting.
“Apple workers in Towson voted to join the IAM, fought for and won a contract, and are now being punished for it,” said Bryant.
“Apple signed a collective bargaining agreement that requires equal treatment. It is time for Apple to honor that agreement and do right by these workers before June 20.”
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