Three Apple Stores in U.S. Are Permanently Closing Today

Key Points:

• Apple is permanently closing three U.S. retail stores on June 20, including the unionized Towson Town Center location in Maryland, citing declining conditions at the shopping malls where the stores are situated.
• The Towson store's employees, who unionized in 2022 and signed a collective bargaining agreement in 2024, have protested the closure, with support from local politicians and the union IAM CORE.
• Apple is offering transfers to nearby stores for non-unionized employees at the other two locations but is not extending this offer to the unionized Towson employees, citing terms in the collective bargaining agreement that provide severance instead.
• The union accuses Apple of potential union busting and demands equal treatment for Towson workers, arguing that the company is punishing employees for unionizing despite the contract terms.
• The closures highlight challenges faced by retail workers in declining mall locations and may raise concerns among employees about the risks of unionizing, especially as Apple has historically discouraged union efforts.