U.S. Labor Board: Apple illegally interrogated NYC retail staff

Apple illegally interrogated staff at its World Trade Center store in New York City, the U.S. labor board ruled today, reports Bloomberg.

A trio of Democratic-appointed labor 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.

In July 2023 the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruled that Apple “coercively interrogated” store employees at its World Trade Center store who wants to unionize. A NLRB judge ruled that Apple violated the rights of its staff at the store, and must “cease and desist.” 

The judge wrote that Apple violated the rights of employees at its World Trade Center store in New York City, one of several around the country where workers waged union campaigns last year. The tech giant was ordered to cease interrogating workers, and stop confiscating pro-union literature in the store’s break rooms. Furthermore, the tech giant was ordered to desist from “interfering with, restraining or coercing employees” in the exercise of their legally-protected labor rights.