Apple Closes Three U.S. Stores Including Its First Unionized Location

The closures have exposed a contract fight over transfer rights that the union says amounts to discrimination and that could prompt NLRB review.

Overview

Apple permanently closed three stores on Saturday, June 20, 2026, including the Towson Town Center location that unionized in 2022.
Apple says it is following the 2024 collective bargaining agreement by offering severance to Towson staff and only granting transfer or rehire rights if a new store opens within the contract’s specified 50‑mile and timing limits.
The International Association of Machinists (IAM) argues that employees at the nonunion Trumbull and Escondido closures were offered transfers that were not extended to Towson workers and has filed an unfair labor practice charge alleging discrimination.
Local and state officials protested the Towson decision and Maryland lawmakers sent Apple a letter seeking an explanation that the company did not publicly answer.
The dispute leaves affected employees receiving severance or limited rehiring rights now and could prompt NLRB or court proceedings that set a precedent for how store closures interact with union contracts and future retail organizing.