Apple to shutter its first unionized US store in Maryland

April 9 (Reuters) - Apple ‌said on ​Thursday ​that it will shut down its retail store in Towson, Maryland, the first ‌of its U.S. locations where retail employees successfully ⁠unionized in 2022.

* The iPhone maker described the decision ‌as "difficult",citing the departure of ‌several retailers and worseningconditions at the Towson Town Center mall as key reasons for theclosure. * Apple ​said Towson employees will be eligible to apply foropen roles at the company. * In 2022, ⁠more than 100 Apple workers in Towson voted tojoin the International ​Association of Machinists & AerospaceWorkers (IAM) union, marking a milestone for unionization atmajor U.S. corporations such ​as Amazon.com and Starbucks. * Around ‌the same time, a similar union drive in Atlanta waswithdrawn, with Apple ⁠workers alleging intimidation. * The IAM Union said on Thursday that it is "outraged" byApple's decision to close the store, ⁠and that it was exploringall legal options. * "Apple's claim that the ​collective bargaining agreementprevents relocation is simply false and raises serious concernsthat this closure is a cynical attempt to bust ‌the union," theunion said. * Apple also plans to shutter stores at Trumbull ‌Mall inConnecticut and the North County Mall in ⁠California, withemployees continuing their ‌roles at nearby ​Apple Retail stores.

(Reporting by Fabiola Arámburo, Mrinmay Dey in Mexico City; Editing by Sherry ‌Jacob-Phillips)

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