Apple Illegally Interrogated and Coerced Employees Trying to Unionize in Atlanta, Says U.S. Labor Board

Apple violated federal law by holding mandatory anti-union meetings and interrogating and coercing employees at an Atlanta retail location, according a ruling from the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) that was shared by Bloomberg.

atlanta apple store
Back in May, employees at the Cumberland Mall retail location planned to hold a union election in June, with the Communication Workers of America (CWA) organizing the store. The CWA withdrew its request to hold an election, accusing Apple of "repeated violations" that made a "free and fair election impossible."

In a statement shared by Bloomberg, the CWA said today that "Apple executives think the rules don't apply to them," equating Apple's tactics to "psychological warfare."

The NLRB said that it will issue a complaint if Apple does not settle, and it would be the second such complaint. The NLRB issued a complaint against Apple in September after Apple used the same anti-union tactics at a New York store. The NLRB is not able to assess penalties, but it is able to seek policy changes and informational remedies.

Note: Due to the political or social nature of the discussion regarding this topic, the discussion thread is located in our Political News forum. All forum members and site visitors are welcome to read and follow the thread, but posting is limited to forum members with at least 100 posts.

Popular Stories

iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

iPhone SE 4 With Apple's Own 5G Modem 'Confirmed' to Launch in March

Tuesday November 19, 2024 12:12 pm PST by
Barclays analyst Tom O'Malley and his colleagues recently traveled to Asia to meet with various electronics manufacturers and suppliers. In a research note this week, outlining key takeaways from the trip, the analysts said they have "confirmed" that a fourth-generation iPhone SE with an Apple-designed 5G modem is slated to launch towards the end of the first quarter next year. In line with previo...
airtag purple

AirTag 2 Rumored to Launch Next Year With These New Features

Sunday November 17, 2024 5:18 am PST by
Apple released the AirTag in April 2021, so it is now three over and a half years old. While the AirTag has not received any hardware updates since then, a new version of the item tracking accessory is rumored to be in development. Below, we recap rumors about a second-generation AirTag. Timing Apple is aiming to release a new AirTag in mid-2025, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman....
Magic Mouse Next to Keyboard

No, Apple CEO Tim Cook Didn't Say He Prefers Logitech's MX Master 3 Over the Magic Mouse

Sunday November 17, 2024 3:03 pm PST by
While the Logitech MX Master 3 is a terrific mouse for the Mac, reports claiming that Apple CEO Tim Cook prefers that mouse over the Magic Mouse are false. The Wall Street Journal last month published an interview with Cook, in which he said he uses every Apple product every day. Soon after, The Verge's Wes Davis attempted to replicate using every Apple product in a single day. During that...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Real Mock

Apple Releases iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 With Security Fixes

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:10 am PST by
Apple today released iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1, minor updates to the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that debuted earlier in September. iOS 18.1.1 and iPadOS 18.1.1 come three weeks after the launch of iOS 18.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. Apple has also released iOS 17.7.2 for...
at t turbo indicator iphone 16 pro max v0 8hrh7w5f3w1e1

AT&T Turbo Indicator Showing Up in iPhone Status Bar for Subscribers

Wednesday November 20, 2024 3:42 am PST by
AT&T has begun displaying "Turbo" in the iPhone carrier label for customers subscribed to its premium network prioritization service, according to reports on Reddit. The new indicator seems to have started appearing after users updated to iOS 18.1.1, but that could be just coincidence. Image credit: Reddit user No_Highlight7476 The Turbo feature provides enhanced network performance through ...
iPhone 17 Slim Feature Single Camera 1 Redux

'iPhone 17 Air' Rumored to Surpass iPhone 6 as Thinnest iPhone Ever

Monday November 18, 2024 1:07 pm PST by
In a research note with Hong Kong-based investment bank Haitong today, obtained by MacRumors, Apple analyst Jeff Pu said he agrees with a recent rumor claiming that the so-called "iPhone 17 Air" will be around 6mm thick. "We agreed with the recent chatter of an 6mm thickness ultra-slim design of the iPhone 17 Slim model," he wrote. If that measurement proves to be accurate, there would be ...
bug security vulnerability issue fix larry

Make Sure to Update: iOS 18.1.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerabilities

Tuesday November 19, 2024 10:52 am PST by
The iOS 18.1.1, iPadOS 18.1.1, and macOS Sequoia 15.1.1 updates that Apple released today address JavaScriptCore and WebKit vulnerabilities that Apple says have been actively exploited on some devices. With the JavaScriptCore vulnerability, processing maliciously crafted web content could lead to arbitrary code execution. The WebKit vulnerability had the same issue with maliciously crafted...

Top Rated Comments

atomic.flip Avatar
26 months ago

"We'll take anyone if they pay us dues" is not a union that actually represents or fights for the people paying dues.
Spoken like a true anti-worker rights employer.

I’ve never been part of a union or had access to them in my career but I’d support unions for any of my employees. Granted I’ve never been such a terrible employer that I’d have to actually negotiate with one.

Apple is a nearly trillion dollar entity. They CAN afford to provide improved working conditions and even pay their staff a little more.

Enough with the corporate and individual greed.
Score: 46 Votes (Like | Disagree)
atomic.flip Avatar
26 months ago

Okay if Apple violated law, fine. They should be held accountable. But “psychological warfare” gimme a break!
You either have no clue or have a very good clue and remain in denial about things like this actually happening.
Score: 35 Votes (Like | Disagree)
msackey Avatar
26 months ago

Okay if Apple violated law, fine. They should be held accountable. But “psychological warfare” gimme a break!
Don't underestimate the power of unintended coercion. Because the power relations between manager/director and worker (particularly non-union represented worker) is undeniably unequal, you have to find ways to mitigate that existing imbalance for actually free elections.

I have been rather disappointed in Apple's approach towards labour unions. You'd think there's a small chance that Apple would "Think Different" with regards to this, but they have been and are acting just like any old corporate America would. SMH. Shame on Apple.
Score: 29 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ProfessionalFan Avatar
26 months ago
Pretty damn bad if this really happened.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
GMShadow Avatar
26 months ago

The Communications Workers of America represents working people in telecommunications, customer service, media, airlines, health care, public service and education, manufacturing, tech and other fields.
"We'll take anyone if they pay us dues" is not a union that actually represents or fights for the people paying dues.
Score: 16 Votes (Like | Disagree)
atomic.flip Avatar
26 months ago

why wouldn't they form their own union?
Resources. You expect a bunch of individual (mostly college age) retail workers to form a legal entity, hire attorneys and an advisory board? Just to start. Come on…
Score: 15 Votes (Like | Disagree)