Maryland members of Congress send a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook and hardware engineering chief John Ternus urging the company to reconsider its plan to close the unionized Apple Towson Town Center store on June 20. Nine lawmakers—two senators and seven House members—all Democrats—say they have “serious concern” because Apple does not plan to open a replacement store in the Baltimore area. They note the Towson location has performed strongly but say the Towson Town Center mall has lost major retailers, raising questions about whether alternatives could preserve jobs.
Lawmakers say the closure would significantly affect the region’s residents and small businesses and could involve about 90 employees, who are members of IAM CORE, which represents retail workers. The store’s staff became the first U.S. Apple retail employees to unionize in 2022, and the workers signed a collective bargaining agreement in 2024. The lawmakers ask Apple for a clearer explanation of its rationale and whether options such as relocating the store or changing operations were considered.
Apple says it is following the collective bargaining agreement, including rules on transfers or severance, and says it will present facts to the NLRB. The IAM union filed an unfair labor practice charge over the handling of unionized Towson employees.
