Maryland Apple Store staff file for union election

The Communication Workers of America says that over 70% of Maryland's Apple Bethesda retail and repair staff have filed for a union election with the National Labor Relations Board.

Following the Communication Workers of America (CWA) achieving its first collective-bargained contract with Apple for the Apple Oklahoma City store, it is now working with Apple Bethesda. According to the CWA, over 70% of the store's 59 workers have signed union authorization cards.

"We're honored to welcome the workers at the Bethesda Row Apple store in Maryland as members of CWA," said Johnny Brown, President of CWA Local 2108. "Increasingly more and more workers... are exercising their right to organize, bringing greater protections to union members in the tech and video game industry."

"In the past, we've seen Apple choose to undermine its employees' right to organize," continued Brown. "We call on Apple to change course, live up to its credo, and respect workers' right to form a union."

The CWA says that Apple has worked with anti-union consultants and "deployed aggressive, sometimes illegal, tactics" to prevent staff joining unions.

"It has been inspiring to see our colleagues in Oklahoma City and Towson organize and win better working conditions and job protections at the bargaining table," Peter Cascio, described as an Operations Specialist at Apple, said in the CWA's statement. "Their efforts have made it clear that a union is not only better for workers, but better for the company."

"My colleagues and I at the Apple Bethesda Row store in Maryland care deeply about our jobs and want to secure the transparency, pay, benefits, and job stability that we deserve," he continued.

Separately, the National Labor Relations Board has previously ruled that Apple must cease and desist its anti-union actions. In 2022, an Apple anti-union briefing document was leaked after being circulated to retail store managers.

Apple has not commented on the CWA's announcement about the Apple Bethesda store. However, also in 2022, Apple's retail chief Deirdre O'Brien decried all unionization efforts in a video sent to staff.

"I worry about what it would mean to put another organization in the middle of our relationship," she said. "An organization that doesn't have a deep understanding of Apple or our business, and most importantly, one that I do not believe shares our commitment to you."

That video was circulated in May 2022. In November of that year, one Apple retail worker was reported as saying that complaining about conditions is as effective as "writing to Santa."