In a letter sent to Apple CEO Tim Cook and hardware engineering chief John Ternus this week, nine members of Congress of the Maryland expressed “deep concern” about Apple’s decision to close its joint retail store in Towson, Maryland on June 20, without plans to open a replacement store in the Baltimore region.
“We know that decisions of this measure involve complex business considerations,” the lawmakers said. “However, we urge Apple to reconsider whether there are ways forward that can save jobs and maintain a retail presence in the region. Marylanders appreciate employers who invest in their employees and demonstrate an ongoing commitment to the communities they serve. We stand ready to work constructively with Apple to better understand this decision and explore potential solutions.”
The letter was signed by nine Maryland lawmakers, including two senators and seven representatives, all from the Democratic Party. They said it was their understanding that the Apple store at Towson Town Center was in a “very good location,” but several local reports indicated that the mall was shrinking and losing major retailers like Tommy Bahama, Banana Republic, and Madewell.
In the letter, lawmakers said the store’s closing would “significantly affect” residents and small businesses in Baltimore County, including about 90 employees. As a result, they asked Apple to provide a clear understanding of the reason for this decision, including whether alternatives such as moving the store or other operational changes were reasonably considered.
Last month, Apple announced that it will permanently close three stores in the US in June, and two other locations will be closed beyond Apple’s Towson Town Center, namely Apple Trumbull in Trumbull, Connecticut and Apple North County in Escondido, California. Apple said it made the difficult decision following “several retailer departures” and declining conditions” at all three stores.
Notably, workers at the Towson store became the first Apple workers in the US to unionize in 2022. They are members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers’ Coalition of Organized Retail Employees (IAM CORE), and signed a collective bargaining agreement with Apple in 2024.
Apple said employees at the Trumbull and North County stores will “continue their roles” at the company’s nearby stores in each location, so the transfer eligibility is confirmed. Meanwhile, Apple said workers at the Towson store will be eligible to apply for open jobs at Apple in accordance with their collective bargaining agreement, and it’s unclear whether everyone who applies will be successful in a new position at the company.
Last month, the IAM union filed a labor practice complaint with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), citing discriminatory treatment of union workers at the Towson store. Unlike the workers at the other two closing stores, Apple did not offer its Towson union workers the opportunity to transfer to other stores.
The IAM said Apple’s failure to offer Towson workers the opportunity to transfer “raises serious concerns that this shutdown is a fraudulent attempt to eliminate the union.”
“We commend the Maryland congressional delegation for having the backs of these workers and demanding answers from Apple,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “These workers made history by using their right to organize their voice at work. Walking away from them now sends a dangerous message to working people everywhere.”
Apple said it was simply honoring the terms of the arbitration agreement.
According to Apple, the union’s contract states that if a store closes, Apple will transfer or rehire workers if the company opens a new store within 50 miles of the current Towson Town Center location. In any other case, the union negotiated for the workers to receive the termination. Apple has no current plans to open a new store in the area, but if it were to do so within the next 18 months, affected employees would have the right of first refusal.
“We strongly disagree with the claims made, and we will continue to uphold the agreement that was negotiated and agreed to with the union,” an Apple spokesperson said. “We look forward to presenting all the facts to the NLRB.”
Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion about this topic, the discussion thread is available in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 entries.