Towson, Md. – Apple’s plan to close its first unionized U.S. store has become a major labor dispute. National legislators are now involved as well as Maryland Gov. Wes Moore. The closing of this unionized Apple facility is now a test case for the technology sector and unions.
Forty congressional legislators sent a letter to both outgoing Apple CEO Tim Cook and incoming John Ternus, urging the company to reconsider its decision to shut down the Towson store that was announced in April 2026. U.S. Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Jesús “Chuy” García (D-Ill.) raise serious concerns that Apple’s planned June 20 closure of the Towson Town Center store is part of a broader union-busting effort targeting workers who organized with the IAM Union in 2022
The following includes the first paragraph of this congressional communication.
“Dear Mr. Cook and Mr. Ternus:
We are writing today regarding Apple’s announcement on April 9, 2026, that it intends to close the Apple retail store location located in the Town Center Mall in Towson, Maryland, on June 20, 2026. This decision is unacceptable in its impact, and deeply troubling in its national implications for workers’ rights and the ability of multi-trillion-dollar corporations to undercut their efforts to collectively bargain for better pay, benefits, and dignity on the job. As U.S. Representatives concerned with the implementation of and compliance with labor law, we are deeply alarmed that this closure appears to be just the latest move in a union-busting effort. As lawmakers with common legislative goals of promoting fair and equitable economic growth and good jobs, we urge you find alternative solutions that would ensure that the Baltimore region retains both skilled technical employees as well as access to technology and products that help drive business and industry in the region forward. “
Maryland Gov. Wes Moore issued a statement supporting the members of IAM Local 4538 at the Towson Town Center Apple Store, expected to close June 20.“The Towson Town Center Apple Store has been a retail anchor for the region since 2022,” said Gov. Moore. “It’s provided good-paying jobs, increased economic activity, and been an important localized service hub for the region. As the first unionized Apple retail store in the country and a strong-performing location, its workers proved that economic growth and workers’ rights go hand-in-hand. Now, the rug is being pulled out from underneath them. These Marylanders deserve the same transfer rights and opportunities afforded to other Apple employees, and we stand with them.”
“Governor Moore is saying what any fair-minded person can plainly see: Apple is treating its unionized workers in Towson differently than every other employee at a closing Apple store in this country,” said IAM President Brian Bryant. “Apple workers in Towson voted to join the IAM, fought for and won a contract, and are now being punished for it. Apple signed a collective bargaining agreement that requires equal treatment. It is time for Apple to honor that agreement and do right by these workers before June 20.”
At a recent IAM rally in Towson that included legislators, community leaders and union officials, IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan, whose territory includes the Towson store, called the fight a defining moment for the labor movement. “Our members at the Apple store in Towson proved that organizing works. Our members built power, negotiated a contract, and created a model for Apple store workers everywhere,” said IAM General Vice President David Sullivan. “Apple is now trying to make an example out of them. We will not allow that to happen. The IAM stands firmly with our members in Towson, and we are grateful to Governor Moore and every elected official who has refused to look away.”
These statements from legislators supporting IAM and members of Local 4538 working at this unionized store in the technology sector, come as pressure on Apple continues to build from elected officials at every level. This conflict between labor and management – brings Apple into the growing national debate over organized labor in the tech industry. The congressional letter describes the closure as “unacceptable in its impact, and deeply troubling in its national implications for workers’ rights.”
