Apple Inc. is confronting allegations from the federal labour board for excluding unionized retail employees from a benefits expansion last year. A regional director of the National Labor Relations Board filed a complaint on Tuesday, asserting that Apple violated federal labour laws by denying enhanced benefits to unionized workers at an Apple store in Towson, Md., in 2022.
In October 2022, the company introduced a new set of perks for its U.S. retail and corporate employees, encompassing additional medical benefits, prepayment of tuition for external education, and complimentary access to a premium Coursera Inc. subscription. The International Association of Machinists & Aerospace Workers, representing the employees, filed unfair labour practice charges in November 2022 related to the modifications in benefits.
According to an agency spokesperson on Tuesday, the complaint alleges that Apple discriminated against the Towson workers and utilized the benefits as a means to discourage staff at other locations from unionizing.
The Towson store became the first Apple store to unionize in 2022, followed by a second store in Oklahoma City shortly after. Apple has faced growing legal challenges before the NLRB, with the IAM accusing the company of not negotiating in good faith.
In June, a board judge ruled that Apple managers engaged in illegal interrogation of workers at its World Trade Center store in New York City.
This complaint follows a recent NLRB judge’s ruling that Starbucks Corp. unlawfully excluded unionized baristas from its nationwide wage and benefits increases in 2022. Apple has not provided an immediate comment.
