Apple (again) accused of targeting union supporters after organizing efforts gain traction

Apple, Starbucks, Trader Joe’s and REI are accused of targeting union supporters after organizing efforts gained traction, charges the companies deny, according to The New York Times (a subscription is required to read the entire article).

It’s not the first time such a claim has been levied against Apple. The NYT claims to have spoken to multiple former Apple Store employees who allege they were fired for their role in unionization efforts. The report also compares Apple’s efforts to what similar companies like Starbucks have done over the last several years.

In a statement to the NYT, Apple denied the accusations made by these former employees. The company said that it has not “disciplined or fired any workers” for union activity. “We strongly deny these claims and look forward to providing the full set of facts to the NLRB,” the company said.

In his April 7 “Power On” newsletters, Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman said Apple’s attempts to keep its stores from unionizing are continuing, with the tech giant looking to avoid the kind of labor inroads seen at companies like Amazon.com and Starbucks.

From the report: Over the past two weeks, managers at Apple’s roughly 270 US retail outlets held meetings with staff members to discuss the risks of unionization and provide a planned update on bargaining between the company and the first unionized store, a location in Towson, Maryland.

The talks, held during gatherings known as Daily Downloads, followed a bit of a lull at Apple. Months ago, the company held Q&A and information sessions aimed at addressing unions and its retail chief sent a video to staffers on the topic. Apple also withheld new benefits from unionized locations, drawing outcry from labor advocates.

The efforts have so far appeared to work: Only two Apple stores have unionized — Towson and Oklahoma City — and locations that sought to organize workers in Atlanta and St. Louis have walked back their efforts. That means that the current state of unionization at Apple is a far cry from the momentum seen at Starbucks and other chains.

This info from Gurman is from the free edition of “Power On”. If you like it, consider subscribing to Bloomberg.com—you’ll receive the newsletter earlier and get exclusive access to a Q&A section.