The US National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint against Apple Inc. in a New York City case, spurred by an accusation from the Communications Workers of America that the company has suppressing union organizing efforts.
(Bloomberg) — The US National Labor Relations Board issued a complaint against Apple Inc. in a New York City case, spurred by an accusation from the Communications Workers of America that the company has suppressing union organizing efforts.
The complaint followed a CWA filing alleging that Apple interrogated staff, restricted the posting of union flyers and required employees to attend mandatory anti-union speeches. The conduct took place at Apple’s World Trade Center store in Manhattan, a CWA representative said in May.
Apple said Tuesday that it disagrees with the allegations. “We are fortunate to have incredible retail team members and we deeply value everything they bring to Apple,” the company said in an emailed statement. “We regularly communicate with our teams and always want to ensure everyone’s experience at Apple is the best it can be.”
Apple’s retail chain, which includes more than 270 stories in the US, has increasingly become a focal point for union organizers. CWA has said that it is in touch with Apple employees around the country, and staffers in Oklahoma City are slated to vote next week in an NLRB election on whether to become the first Apple retail workers to join the group.
“It is past time for Apple’s senior management to respect its retail employees and stop its unlawful attempts to prevent them from forming unions,” CWA’s secretary-treasurer, Sara Steffens, said in an emailed statement Tuesday. “Apple has a choice — does it want to be known for intimidating its workers and creating a culture of fear, or does it want to live up to its stated values and welcome true collaboration with all of its employees — including retail workers.”
Employees in Maryland voted in June to join another union, the International Association of Machinists, marking one of the most prominent in a series of landmark labor wins over the past year at top US businesses. CWA also filed a still-pending NLRB claim against Apple in Atlanta, where in May the labor group withdrew a petition for a unionization vote, citing alleged union-busting by the company.
Complaints issued by labor board prosecutors are considered by administrative law judges, whose rulings can be appealed to NLRB members in Washington and from there to federal court. The agency can order companies to change policies that conflict with the law, but it lacks authority to issue punitive damages for violations.
(Updates with Apple comment in third paragraph.)
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