The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) has welcomed support from Maryland Governor Wes Moore as pressure mounts on Apple over its planned closure of the Towson Town Center store, the first unionized Apple retail location in the United States.
Apple has announced that the store will shut down on June 20, a decision that could affect about 90 workers represented by IAM Local 4538. Labor leaders and elected officials have increasingly questioned the company’s handling of the closure, arguing that unionized employees are not being given the same opportunities as workers at other Apple stores facing shutdowns.
“The Towson Town Center Apple Store has been a retail anchor for the region since 2022,” said 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.”
IAM International President Brian Bryant said the governor’s remarks underscore growing concerns about how Apple is treating unionized workers during the closure process.
“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 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.”
READ: Apple to close Towson store, 2 others in US (April 10, 2026)
The union recently organized a rally in Towson that brought together local, state, and federal officials along with labor advocates and community supporters. On May 27, the IAM posted on X: “We are rallying with our leaders and members of @acoreunion, to protest the closing of the @Apple Towson store in Maryland and not allowing union employees to transfer.”
One of their linked X post with this stated that one of their labor is very devasted. “IAM Local 4538 member Eric Brown is worried for his family and future after @Apple announced the abrupt closing of the Towson store. He feels it’s retaliation against the employees who unionized, and urges Apple to do right by workers. #DoRightApple”
IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan described the dispute as a critical test for organized labor and workers’ rights.
“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 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.”
The governor’s intervention comes as lawmakers across the country continue to scrutinize Apple’s decision. A newly released letter spearheaded by the Congressional Progressive Caucus and signed by 40 members of Congress urges the company to reconsider the closure and ensure fair treatment of employees at the Maryland store.
The letter, addressed to Apple CEO Tim Cook and incoming CEO John Ternus, was led by Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar, Representative Ilhan Omar, and Representative Jesús “Chuy” García. Lawmakers expressed concern that the planned closure may be part of a broader effort to discourage union organizing following workers’ successful unionization campaign in 2022.
READ: Apple under Congressional pressure over Towson store closure affecting 100 jobs (May 6, 2026)
The congressional outreach follows an earlier letter from Maryland’s congressional delegation seeking answers about the closure. Union leaders have also filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge, alleging that Apple violated federal labor law and the collective bargaining agreement in its treatment of union employees during the shutdown process. According to the IAM, Apple has not responded to the Maryland delegation’s May 4 letter.
Concerns over the Towson store closure have been building since April, when Apple announced plans to close three retail locations located in struggling shopping malls: Trumbull Mall in Connecticut, the Shops at North County in California, and Towson Town Center in Maryland.
While employees at the Trumbull and North County stores have reportedly been offered transfers to nearby Apple locations, workers at the Towson store must apply for open positions elsewhere within the company under the terms of their union contract. Labor advocates argue that this distinction places unionized workers at a disadvantage.
Earlier this year, members of Maryland’s congressional delegation, led by Representative Johnny Olszewski and joined by Senators Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, questioned why Apple would close what lawmakers described as a strong-performing store that had recently expanded staffing levels. They have asked the company to explain whether alternatives to closure were considered before the decision was made.
The Towson store occupies a unique place in Apple’s labor history. In 2022, employees voted to unionize under IAM CORE, making it the first unionized Apple retail store in the nation. As the June 20 closure date approaches, the dispute has become a focal point in the broader debate over union rights and corporate labor practices in the retail sector.