According to a National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) decision shared by Bloomberg, Apple broke the law by requiring anti-union meetings, interrogating, and coercing workers at an Atlanta retail location.
The Communication Workers of America (CWA) organized the store, and in May, employees at the retail location in the Cumberland Mall announced their intention to hold a union election in June.
Withdrawing its request for an election, the CWA charged Apple with “repeated violations” that prevented “a free and fair election.”
The CWA compared Apple’s strategies to “psychological warfare,” saying that “Apple executives think the rules don’t apply to them” in a statement made public by Bloomberg today.
If Apple doesn’t settle, the NLRB said it will file a complaint, which would be the second one of its kind. After Apple employed the same anti-union tactics at a New York store in September, the NLRB filed a complaint against the company. The NLRB can request policy changes and informational remedies but cannot impose fines.