Apple illegally interrogated New York City retail staff, US labour board rules

(May 7): Apple Inc illegally interrogated staff at its World Trade Center store in New York City, the US labour board ruled Monday, marking the latest rebuke of the iPhone maker’s labour practices.

A trio of Democratic-appointed labour board members ruled against the company, affirming the findings last year of an administrative law judge. In that decision, the judge concluded that the company violated federal law in 2022 by confiscating union flyers, prohibiting workers from placing them on a table in the break room and “coercively interrogating” employees.

Monday’s ruling is the first decision against Apple by the NLRB’s members, agency spokesperson Kayla Blado said. The Cupertino, California-based company, which didn’t have an immediate comment, has previously denied wrongdoing.

Apple has faced a wave of organising efforts over the past couple years, with employees at stores in Maryland and Oklahoma voting to unionise in 2022. Some other unionisation petitions were withdrawn prior to voting, and other efforts — like the World Trade Center one — never got far along enough to seek a vote. The Maryland and Oklahoma stores haven’t yet reached collective bargaining agreements with the company.

Other cases are still pending, including one in which an NLRB regional director accused Apple of illegally excluding unionised workers from certain benefits. Rulings by NLRB members can be appealed to federal court. The agency lacks authority to impose punitive damages or hold executives personally liable for violations.

Employees at an Apple Store in Short Hills, New Jersey, are slated to vote Friday and Saturday on whether to become the third unionised site among the company’s roughly 270 US stores.