Jun 18, 2026 | Politics & Legislative News
WASHINGTON, June 11, 2026 — The House Appropriations Committee has approved a Republican funding bill for the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education on a party-line vote. The legislation would strip more than $3 billion from the Department of Labor, eliminate several labor-focused offices including those that protect American workers from unfair international trade competition, make deep reductions to worker safety enforcement and Job Corps.
Worse, the bill reduces funding for the already underfunded National Labor Relations Board by nearly $100 million. Members of the current administration, including NLRB General Counsel Crystal Carey and NLRB Chair James Murphy, recently decried the lack of funding to the agency in a House Education and Workforce subcommittee hearing. They testified that proposed budgetary amounts were “far below what we’ll need” and would require a “disastrous cut in agency operations” for the long-understaffed agency.
Brian Bryant, International President of the 600,000-member IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers), issued the following statement:
“House Republicans are advancing a budget that asks working people to pay the price so the billionaire class can keep cashing in. After receiving the largest tax break in American history, wealthy corporations and billionaires are once again demanding more at the expense of working families.”
“These proposals would gut worker safety enforcement, slash Job Corps programs that help young people escape poverty and homelessness, and strip resources from the National Labor Relations Board. That’s not fiscal responsibility. That’s balancing the books on the backs of working people.
“Job Corps helps young Americans build careers and escape poverty. OSHA inspectors save lives. The NLRB helps level a playing field that is already tilted toward corporate power and against working families. Taking a sledgehammer to these programs doesn’t strengthen America — it weakens opportunities for workers while protecting the interests of those who need help the least.
“Elections have consequences. Working people are watching who stands with them and who stands with billionaires. We will remember these choices when we head to the ballot box this November.
“The IAM Union will continue fighting for investments in workers, strong labor protections, safe workplaces and pathways to the middle class. Working people built this country. They shouldn’t be asked to sacrifice so billionaires can get another handout.”
The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) represents approximately 600,000 active and retired members in aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, rail, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries across North America.
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Jun 17, 2026 | Politics & Legislative News
TOWSON, Md., June 17, 2026 — The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) applauded Baltimore Mayor Brandon M. Scott for his statement supporting the approximately 90 members of IAM Local 4538 at the Towson Town Center Apple Store, which Apple has announced it will close on June 20.
“My office stands in full support of IAM Union Local 4538 Apple workers at the Towson Town Center,” said Mayor Scott. “Baltimore is a union town, and we are known as the ‘Birthplace of American Railroading.’ We stand with the IAM Union, which began as a rail union and in 2022 organized the first Apple store in the nation, located at the Towson Town Center.”
Mayor Scott said the workers’ 2022 organizing victory carries forward a legacy built by generations of Baltimoreans, from dockworkers to railroad workers, who fought for fair pay and a path to the middle class.
Scott noted that many of the affected workers are Baltimore City residents who rely on public transit to reach the store, and he called Apple’s planned closure a blow to the broader region, not just the 90 workers who will lose their jobs.
IAM International President Brian Bryant praised Mayor Scott’s support and called on Apple to act before the store closure deadline.
“Mayor Scott understands what’s at stake here, not just for our members but for the city of Baltimore,” said Bryant. “Apple workers in Towson voted to join the IAM, fought for and won a contract, and are now being punished for it. Apple signed a collective bargaining agreement that requires equal treatment. It is time for Apple to honor that agreement and do right by these workers before June 20.”
The IAM Union recently held a rally in Towson in support of Apple workers that featured local, state and national elected officials, as well as labor and community allies.
IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan, whose territory includes the Towson store, called the mayor’s statement another sign that elected leaders across Maryland are refusing to look away.
“Our members at the Apple store in Towson proved that organizing works. Our members built power, negotiated a contract, and created a model for Apple store workers everywhere,” said Sullivan. “Apple is now trying to make an example out of them. We will not allow that to happen. The IAM stands firmly with our members in Towson, and we are grateful to Mayor Scott and every elected official who has refused to look away.”
Mayor Scott’s statement comes as pressure on Apple continues to build from elected officials at every level.
The Congressional Labor Caucus letter is the latest in a growing series of actions supporting Apple Towson workers. It follows a recent Congressional Progressive Caucus letter signed by 40 members of Congress, a separate letter from the Maryland congressional delegation, public support from Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, and a community rally in Towson that brought together elected officials, labor leaders, and local residents.
Read Mayor Scott’s full statement here.
The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) is one of North America’s largest and most diverse industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries across the United States and Canada.
goIAM.org | @IAM_Union
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Jun 16, 2026 | Politics & Legislative News
A major labor reform championed by the IAM Union moved one step closer to becoming law this week as the U.S. House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Faster Labor Contracts Act (FLCA), legislation designed to stop employers from delaying negotiations and denying newly organized workers the first contract they fought to win.
The IAM Union was a leading advocate for the bill, urging lawmakers to support a discharge petition led by U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.) that successfully forced a House vote on the legislation.
In an April letter to members of Congress, IAM Union International President Brian Bryant called on lawmakers to sign the discharge petition and advance the legislation, noting that workers often face years of delays after voting to form a union. Bryant warned that employers exploit the lack of bargaining deadlines to frustrate workers and undermine support for newly formed unions.
“The ability to collectively bargain a contract with their employer is central to why workers in growing numbers are exercising their right to form and join unions,” said Bryant. “Securing a first contract is perhaps the most important part of collective bargaining — and it is also often the hardest. Employers know they can drag their feet and demoralize workers. The Faster Labor Contracts Act changes that dynamic by making union-busting employers actually come to the table.”
The legislation would amend the National Labor Relations Act to establish clear timelines for bargaining. Employers would be required to begin negotiations within 10 days of workers voting to form a union. If no agreement is reached within 90 days, the parties can move to mediation, followed by binding arbitration if necessary.
Workers currently wait an average of more than 458 days to secure a first contract, according to a Bloomberg analysis, often because employers intentionally stall negotiations after losing a union election.
“Workers don’t organize a union just to spend years waiting for their employer to negotiate a contract,” said Bryant. “The Faster Labor Contracts Act will help ensure that when workers vote for a union, they have a real opportunity to secure the wages, benefits, and protections they fought for. The Senate should move quickly to pass this legislation.”
The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) represents approximately 600,000 active and retired members in aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, rail, transit, non-profit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries across North America.
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Jun 4, 2026 | Politics & Legislative News
WASHINGTON, D.C., June 4, 2026 — Apple (AAPL) continues to feel national political heat even as the tech giant’s stock has risen nearly 15% in 2026.
Fifty-four members of the Congressional Labor Caucus, led by Co-Chairs and Reps. Mark Pocan (D-Wis.), Debbie Dingell (D-Mich.), Donald Norcross (D-N.J.), and Steven Horsford (D-Nev.), are calling on the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to conduct a thorough investigation into Apple’s planned June 20 closure of its unionized Towson, Md., retail store, citing concerns that the company may be treating union workers differently than employees at other closing locations.
The lawmakers specifically pointed to Apple’s differing treatment of employees at three stores slated for closure.
“The Towson, Maryland location was the first Apple store in the country to unionize and secure a negotiated collective bargaining agreement with the company,” the letter to NLRB General Counsel Crystal Carey states. “We are alarmed that the company is making efforts to relocate employees at stores that have non-bargaining unit workers, while denying those same benefits to unionized locations.”
Carey formerly worked for Morgan Lewis, one of the largest management-side law firms that currently represents corporations known for violating workers’ rights, including Amazon, SpaceX, Apple and Tesla.
The Towson Apple Store became the first Apple retail location in the United States to successfully unionize in 2022 and later secured a negotiated collective bargaining agreement with the company in August 2024. Apple recently announced plans to close the Towson location alongside stores in Trumbull, Conn., and Escondido, Calif.
In their closing request to the NLRB, lawmakers wrote: “Accordingly, we respectfully call on the NLRB to thoroughly investigate alleged practices, reach a timely resolution to this issue, ensure that workers’ rights and benefits are protected, and, if violations are identified, provide robust enforcement of labor law to make workers whole.”
Workers at the Towson store, represented by IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) Local 4538, have not been offered the same relocation opportunities being provided to employees at the non-union stores. Instead, they have been told to reapply for positions elsewhere within the company. The IAM Union has alleged that Apple’s actions violate the workers’ collective bargaining agreement and has filed an Unfair Labor Practice charge with the NLRB.
Apple Towson workers and IAM Union representatives were present on Capitol Hill today for a hearing examining the policies and priorities of the NLRB, where lawmakers discussed the agency’s role in protecting workers’ rights and enforcing federal labor law.
The Congressional Labor Caucus letter is the latest in a growing series of actions supporting Apple Towson workers. It follows a recent Congressional Progressive Caucus letter signed by 40 members of Congress, a separate letter from the Maryland congressional delegation, public support from Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, and a community rally in Towson that brought together elected officials, labor leaders, and local residents.
“The IAM Union thanks Reps. Pocan, Dingell, Norcross, Horsford, and the members of the Congressional Labor Caucus for standing with workers and demanding accountability,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “The facts here are deeply troubling. Apple is closing the first unionized Apple retail store in America while denying those workers opportunities being offered to employees at non-union locations. If one of the richest corporations in the world believes it can treat workers differently because they exercised their legal right to form a union, every working person in America should be paying attention. We appreciate the Congressional Labor Caucus for calling on the NLRB to fully investigate these allegations and ensure these workers receive the protections guaranteed under federal law.”
“The workers at Towson made history by organizing the first unionized Apple retail store in the country and negotiating a contract that guarantees equal treatment,” said IAM Union Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan. “Now they are being told they must reapply for jobs while workers at non-union stores are being offered relocation opportunities. That is a serious concern and one that deserves immediate scrutiny. We are grateful to the Congressional Labor Caucus for recognizing what is at stake and urging the NLRB to move quickly to protect workers’ rights and hold Apple accountable if violations occurred.”
The IAM Union will continue supporting Apple Towson workers as they fight for equal treatment, respect, and the enforcement of the rights guaranteed under federal labor law and their collective bargaining agreement.
The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) represents approximately 600,000 active and retired members in aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, rail, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries across North America.
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Jun 2, 2026 | Politics & Legislative News
TOWSON, Md., June 2, 2026 — The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) applauded Maryland Gov. Wes Moore today for his statement supporting the approximately 90 members of IAM Local 4538 at the Towson Town Center Apple Store, which Apple has announced it will close June 20.
“The Towson Town Center Apple Store has been a retail anchor for the region since 2022,” said Gov. Moore. “It’s provided good-paying jobs, increased economic activity, and been an important localized service hub for the region. As the first unionized Apple retail store in the country and a strong-performing location, its workers proved that economic growth and workers’ rights go hand-in-hand. Now, the rug is being pulled out from underneath them. These Marylanders deserve the same transfer rights and opportunities afforded to other Apple employees, and we stand with them.”
IAM International President Brian Bryant praised Gov. Moore’s support and called on Apple to act before the store closure deadline.
“Governor Moore is saying what any fair-minded person can plainly see: Apple is treating its unionized workers in Towson differently than every other employee at a closing Apple store in this country,” said Bryant. “Apple workers in Towson voted to join the IAM, fought for and won a contract, and are now being punished for it. Apple signed a collective bargaining agreement that requires equal treatment. It is time for Apple to honor that agreement and do right by these workers before June 20.”
The IAM Union recently held a rally in Towson in support of Apple workers that featured local, state and national elected officials, as well as labor and community allies.
IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan, whose territory includes the Towson store, called the fight a defining moment for the labor movement.
“Our members at the Apple store in Towson proved that organizing works. Our members built power, negotiated a contract, and created a model for Apple store workers everywhere,” said Sullivan. “Apple is now trying to make an example out of them. We will not allow that to happen. The IAM stands firmly with our members in Towson, and we are grateful to Governor Moore and every elected official who has refused to look away.”
Gov. Moore’s statement comes as pressure on Apple continues to build from elected officials at every level.
A new Congressional Progressive Caucus-led letter by 40 members of Congress urges the tech giant to reverse course and treat workers fairly at its Towson, Md., location.The letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook and incoming CEO John Ternus–led by Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Greg Casar (D-Texas), U.S. Reps. Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.) and Jesús “Chuy” García (D-Ill.) raise serious concerns that Apple’s planned June 20 closure of the Towson Town Center store is part of a broader union-busting effort targeting workers who organized with the IAM Union in 2022.
The Congressional Progressive Caucus outreach follows an earlier letter sent by members of the Maryland congressional delegation raising concerns over Apple’s planned closure of the Towson store, as well as an Unfair Labor Practice charge filed by the IAM Union alleging Apple is violating federal labor law and the workers’ collective bargaining agreement through its treatment of union employees during the closure process. Apple has not yet responded to the Maryland congressional delegation’s May 4 letter.
The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) is one of North America’s largest and most diverse industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, shipbuilding, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries across the United States and Canada.
goIAM.org | @IAM_Union
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May 29, 2026 | Politics & Legislative News
RALEIGH, N.C., May 29, 2026 — The 600,000-member IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) is urging members of the North Carolina House of Representatives to vote against S.B. 1082, legislation that would amend the North Carolina Constitution to permanently enshrine the state’s so-called “right-to-work” law.
In a letter sent to North Carolina lawmakers, IAM Union International President Brian Bryant warned the proposal is an unnecessary political attack on workers’ rights that would further weaken workers’ ability to organize and collectively bargain for fair wages, benefits, and safe working conditions.
“North Carolina already has had ‘right-to-work’ provisions in state law since 1947, and this political attack on the constitution is shameful and unnecessary,” wrote IAM Union International President Brian Bryant in a letter to North Carolina lawmakers. “This attempt to enshrine anti-union verbiage in the state constitution is also a waste of taxpayer dollars, and pushes North Carolina in the wrong direction. The ‘right-to-work’ state laws weaken workers’ ability to unionize and collectively bargain for fair wages, benefits, and safe working conditions. Rather than improving workers’ lives amid growing costs of living, these anti-labor laws harm lower and middle-class workers as they are associated with lower wages than in states without them.”
The IAM Union represents thousands of workers across North Carolina, including workers at Spirit AeroSystems in Kinston and air transport workers at Charlotte Douglas International Airport and Raleigh-Durham International Airport.
Research continues to show that so-called “right-to-work” laws lower wages and weaken workplace protections for working people. According to the Economic Policy Institute, workers in states with “right-to-work” laws earn lower wages on average, are less likely to have employer-sponsored health insurance and pensions, and face higher workplace fatality rates than workers in states without those laws.
The bill recently passed the North Carolina Senate and could be considered by the North Carolina House as early as next week.
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