Union Workers Rally Against Closure of First Unionized Apple Store in U.S.

Union members, politicians, and community leaders rallied in Towson, Maryland today to protest Apple's planned closure of the first unionized Apple retail store in the United States. Demonstrators accused the company of retaliating against organized workers by denying them transfer opportunities available to employees at other closing locations.



The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM), which represents the nearly 100 employees at the Towson Town Center location, has filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board. IAM alleges Apple is retaliating against workers for forming a union. Apple previously announced the permanent closure of the store effective June 20, 2026, citing a decline in the mall's overall retail environment.


The dispute centers on employee transfers. Apple is closing stores at Trumbull Mall in Connecticut and North County Mall in San Diego around the same time but is offering those employees transfers to nearby locations. Towson staff members are set to lose their jobs when the store closes, prompting union leaders to argue the move sends a warning to workers at other retail locations considering unionization.

"We're not asking for charity," said Eric Brown, a sales lead at the Towson store. "We're asking Apple to do right by us and offer us the same transfer opportunities it extended to workers at its other closing stores."

The situation has drawn significant political attention. The Maryland congressional delegation recently sent a letter to Apple raising concerns about the closure. Congressman Kweisi Mfume, who attended the rally at Patriot Plaza alongside local NAACP and AFL-CIO leaders, framed the dispute as a broader fight to protect collective bargaining rights.

Activists also highlighted the local impact of the closure itself. According to the union, the Towson location is the only Apple Store in the Baltimore area accessible by public transit, serving a large base of students from nearby universities and residents who rely on the bus system.