NLRB issues first complaint against OKC Apple Store management

Last Updated on June 5, 2023, 12:07 AM | Published: June 4, 2023

OKLAHOMA CITY — The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has filed a complaint against tech giant Apple [AAPL] for labor violations against the OKC Apple Store in Penn Square Mall.

This marks the first time the NLRB has taken aim at  [AAPL] over multiple violations of labor law in Oklahoma City.

The complaint followed charges brought by the Communications Workers of America, AFL-CIO (CWA), the union representing workers in the Oklahoma City Apple Store.

Violations

A large number of violations cited include:

• Making statements to employees that support for the union was futile.
• Soliciting grievances from employees.
• Interrogating employees about their support for the union.
• Holding “captive audience meetings” with workers.
• Threatening employees by stating an organized location would not receive the same improvements to working conditions as unorganized locations.
• Threatened its employees with retaliation if they unionized.

There were a number of members of management involved in the incidents cited in the complaint. The offenders in management in this case are:

• Store leader.
• Manager.
• Market leader.
• Human resource manager.
• Store manager.

Remedies sought

Some of the remedies being sought for the unfair labor practices are:

• Electronically post the Notice to Employers if [AAPL] customarily uses electronic means such as an electronic bulletin board, e-mail, text message, website, or intranet to communicate with those employees.
• Allow a NLRB agent to enter the [AAPL]’s facilities, during the 60-day posting period for the limited purpose of determining whether [AAPL] is in compliance with the notice posting, distribution, and mailing requirements.

Further actions may be taken in regard to the unfair labor practices as well. The complaint states, “The General Counsel further seeks all other relief as may be just and proper to remedy the unfair labor practices”.

The hearing will be in Oklahoma City on October 17th, 2023 in a U.S. District Court.

Here is the filing document with our redactions of individuals cited in the complaint. We redacted those names because they involve allegations and revealing them does not substantially contribute to our report.

AppleNLRBComplaint_Redacted

Union statement

The union responded to this latest move by the NLRB by releasing a statement. It said, “Despite Apple’s public commitments to develop and retain top talent, the corporation has chosen to attack its own employees for simply seeking to exercise their legally protected right to organize. The NLRB’s Complaint clarifies that Apple’s behavior puts the company among the country’s worst and most aggressive union-busters, in step with Amazon and Starbucks”.

The statement continues, “Workers at stores in Atlanta, New York, Oklahoma City, Houston and Kansas City have all experienced retaliation for exercising their legally protected right to organize. Apple has escalated its union-busting tactics by illegally firing multiple workers in Kansas City, Oklahoma City and Houston. CWA has filed multiple Unfair Labor Practice Charges on behalf of workers to hold the corporation accountable”.

Workers in the OKC Penn Square Apple Store won their vote to be represented by the CWA.

OKC Apple Store workers win union vote — second in nation

The OKC [AAPL] store is following a path paved by OKC Starbucks [SBUX] workers earlier this year when the NLRB issued a complaint against that corporation.

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