Labor board intensifies scrutiny on Apple's employee relations

The US National Labor Relations Board is again accusing Apple management of illegally deterring employee discussions of pay and bias issues, part of a general anti-union campaign by the iPhone maker.

In addition to a raft of ongoing complaints, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) general counsel said that Apple forced engineer Cher Scarlett to quit the company. She claims she faced pressure to leave after she attempted to post an online survey about pay, experience levels, and other Apple employee information.

The board also accuses Apple of barring workers from creating a channel in the workplace messaging app Slack to discuss pay inequities and performance incentives. Apple has rebutted the new complaint, the third time the NLRB amplified employee concerns in just the month of October.

"We strongly disagree with these claims and will continue to share the facts at the hearing," Apple said in a statement on the matter to Reuters. Scarlett's lawyer, Laurie Burgess, said her client was "delighted" to see the NLRB issue a complaint against Apple.

"[We] look forward to holding [Apple] accountable at trial for its extensive violations of workers' labor rights," she added. Apple has repeatedly said it strives to maintain a "positive and inclusive workplace" and takes employee complaints seriously.

Employee complaints against Apple pile up

In October, Apple was accused by the NLRB of forcing employees to sign illegal contracts and suppressing unionization efforts. It has previously been accused by other employees of supressing pay and bias discrimination discussions on Slack and other social media platforms.

In May, the labor board ruled that Apple illegally interrogated staff about union activities at the Apple World Trade Center store. It was also found to have restricted the distribution of union flyers.

Apple has only two retail outlets that have unionized among its 274 US stores. A recent unionization effort in Short Hills, NJ failed, according to advocates, because of Apple management's anti-union tactics.

A hearing will be held in June 2025 on the latest charges, involving an administrative law judge, who can issue a ruling for one side or the other. NLRB decisions can be challenged in federal court, but the agency itself cannot issue punative damages awards, or hold management accountable for violations.