MD Lawmakers Urge Apple To Reexamine Towson Closure As Union Files Challenge

TOWSON, MD — A group of Maryland lawmakers is coming together to call on tech giant Apple to reverse a decision to shutter its Towson Town Center location.

In a letter addressed to both Apple CEO Tim Cook and Senior Vice President John Ternus, lawmakers warned the closure would have widespread impacts on Baltimore County's economy.

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"This closure would directly impact approximately 90–100 employees, resulting in a substantial loss of household income circulating within the local economy, as these workers typically spend their earnings on housing, food, transportation, and essential services," reads the letter.

"The closure would also eliminate a localized service hub for small and mid-sized businesses in Baltimore County, increasing transaction costs— including additional time, travel, and service delays."

To better understand the company's rationale, officials requested the following information:

• Factors that contributed to the closing and alternatives that were first considered
• Analyses of the economic and workforce impacts caused by the closure
• Measures to be taken to support impacted employees

Dated Tuesday, the letter was signed by Sens. Angela Alsobrooks, Chris Van Hollen and Reps. Steny Hoyer, Glenn Ivey, Sarah Elfreth, Kweisi Mfume, Jamie Raskin and Johnny Olszewski.

Officials are requesting a response by May 15 "as time is of the essence."

Closing Apple's First Unionized U.S. Store

Apple announced in April that it would be closing at 825 Dulaney Valley Road because of the "departure of several retailers and declining conditions" at the mall.

At the time, officials said the store would close in June and that employees would be cleared to apply for new positions within the company — all in line with their collective bargaining agreement.

The Towson store was the first U.S.-based Apple location to form a union when, in 2022, employees joined the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers Union's Coalition of Organized Retail Employees.

The latest comes as Apple and the unionized employees go head-to-head to handle the matter legally.

The union filed an unfair labor practice charge with the National Labor Relations Board, claiming that Apple is not allowing Towson employees to transfer because they unionized.

Bill Haller, the group's legal counsel, told WMAR2 that "while employees at the other two stores in Connecticut and California were being given the right to transfer to other stores in their same market area, that same right was denied to them (Towson employees) because they said the union had bargained away their right to do that."

Apple, which disagrees with the claim, told the outlet that it would either rehire or transfer employees if the company opened a new store within 50 miles of the Towson Town Center.

Eric Brown, who leads the Towson store's union, says the Apple branch had been performing well financially before the closure was announced.