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.
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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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May 28, 2026 | Politics & Legislative News
IAM Union political activists from across North America gathered this week at the William W. Winpisinger Education and Technology Center for the IAM Political Education Seminar, a weeklong training focused on strengthening political action, legislative advocacy, member mobilization and worker power.
Throughout the week, participants received hands-on training on lobbying elected officials, organizing political campaigns, using data and research in advocacy efforts, rapid response communications, digital activism, and preparing union members to run for public office.
The seminar also emphasized the connection between organizing and political engagement, equipping activists with tools to better advocate for working families and pro-worker legislation at the local, state, and federal levels.
Facilitators and speakers included staff from IAM Political and Legislative, Organizing, Communications, Rapid Response and Mobilization, Strategic Resources, and allied organizations like the AFL-CIO and Alliance for Retired Americans.
The seminar concluded with participants receiving certificates of completion after a week dedicated to strengthening the IAM’s political and legislative activism nationwide.
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May 28, 2026 | Politics & Legislative News
IAM Union members joined by Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Baltimore Metro AFL-CIO President Courtney Jenkins, Maryland State and DC AFL-CIO Federation Secretary-Treasurer Samuel Epps, and Baltimore County NAACP President Roland Patterson rally against outrageous decision from Apple to close its Maryland store, the first unionized Apple retail location in the United States
TOWSON, Md. — Chants erupted today at Patriot Plaza in Towson, Maryland, where protesters accused the Fortune 500 tech giant of discriminatory treatment toward its employees.
Apple Store employees, Members of Congress, labor leaders, civil rights leaders, and local elected officials are outraged by Apple’s decision to close its Towson store – the first unionized Apple retail location in the United States – rather than guarantee pay equity and safe working conditions for its nearly 100 area employees, who are now facing job loss.
“My oldest daughter starts college in the fall. My youngest daughter turns 3 this year. And my newborn son is sleeping at home right now while I’m trying to figure out what comes next. My coworkers are in similar positions, carrying families, mortgages, medical bills, and the quiet fear of watching a stable job disappear,” said Eric Brown, a Sales Lead at the Apple Store at Towson Town Center and a member of IAM Local 4538. “We’re not asking for charity. We’re asking Apple to do right by us and offer us the same transfer opportunities it extended to workers at its other closing stores.”
The IAM Union, which represents the Towson Apple Store workers, has filed an Unfair Labor Practice (ULP) charge with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), citing discriminatory treatment against unionized Apple workers at the Towson store. Unlike workers at two other closing stores, Apple will not allow its unionized Towson employees to transfer to other stores.
“Apple wants every worker watching right now to know what happens when you organize. They want to send a message. That is not a business decision. That is retaliation. Plain and simple,” said IAM International President Brian Bryant. “We are going to fight this in every arena we have. We will not stop. We will not be quiet. We will not back down, not until our members get the fair treatment, the straight answers, and the respect they have earned. The respect that every working person in this country deserves.”
The Towson Apple store is also the only Apple Store in the entire Baltimore area that can be reached by bus. Students from Towson, Goucher, Stevenson, CCBC, Loyola, John Hopkins, University of Baltimore, Morgan State University, and Coppin State University all frequent the location, along with working people without cars across the city.
The Maryland congressional delegation, led by U.S. Rep Johnny Olszewski and joined by U.S. Sens. Chris Van Hollen and Angela Alsobrooks, as well as U.S. Reps. Steny Hoyer, Jamie Raskin, Glenn Ivey, Kweisi Mfume, Sarah Elfreth, and April McClain Delaney wrote a letter to Apple demanding accountability following Apple’s decision to close its unionized retail store at Towson Town Center in Towson, Md., effective June 20, 2026.
Read the Maryland congressional delegation’s letter to Apple here.
“We know what it looks like when a corporation tries to make an example out of workers who dared to ask for a seat at the table. We have seen that playbook. We have faced it down before. And we have beaten it before,” said IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan. “Apple is not the first powerful employer to try to break the spirit of organized workers. They will not be the last. But they will hear from us. They will hear from us today. They will hear from us at the National Labor Relations Board. And they will keep hearing from us every single day until justice is done for the workers of this store.”
On the ground, IAM Local 4538 members including Apple Store workers at the Towson Center were joined by IAM International President Brian Bryant, IAM Eastern Territory General Vice President David Sullivan, IAM District 4 Representative Bonna McCarthy, Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07), Maryland State and DC AFL-CIO Secretary-Treasurer Samuel Epps, Baltimore Metro AFL-CIO President Courtney Jenkins, and Baltimore County NAACP President Roland Patterson.
“We have been working on this for a while now, and we will not stop,” said Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07). “This is a fight for workers’ rights. Collective bargaining has to be respected. Labor laws have to be respected. The right for individual men and women to speak and to organize themselves must be respected.”
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May 22, 2026 | Politics & Legislative News
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 22, 2026 — The IAM Union (International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers) is applauding the successful discharge petition led by U.S. Rep. Donald Norcross (D-N.J.) advancing the bipartisan Faster Labor Contracts Act toward a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives — critical legislation aimed at helping workers secure first union contracts without years of delay and obstruction.
The Faster Labor Contracts Act would require employers to begin bargaining with newly organized workers within 10 days after workers vote to form their union, helping prevent unnecessary delays and bad-faith stalling tactics that too often stand in the way of workers securing a first contract. The legislation would also establish a clear process to move negotiations forward and help ensure employers bargain in good faith.
The IAM Union has been a leader in labor urging members of Congress to support the Faster Labor Contracts Act.
“Workers who vote to form a union deserve a fair first contract — not endless delays, union-busting tactics and corporate games designed to wear them down,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “The successful discharge petition is a major victory for working people across this country and a sign that momentum is growing to finally fix a broken system that allows employers to drag out negotiations for years.”
“Too many employers know they can run out the clock after workers organize, hoping workers will become frustrated and give up before securing the wages, benefits and protections they fought for,” continued Bryant. “The Faster Labor Contracts Act would help level the playing field and ensure employers bargain in good faith. The IAM Union thanks Congressman Norcross and every member of Congress who signed this discharge petition and stood with working people.”
Under current law, there is no timeline requiring employers to begin bargaining or reach a first contract with newly organized workers. According to Bloomberg Law, it takes an average of 458 days for unions and employers to secure an initial agreement.
The IAM Union is urging the House of Representatives to swiftly pass the Faster Labor Contracts Act.
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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May 21, 2026 | Politics & Legislative News
WASHINGTON, D.C., May 21, 2026 — The IAM Union today applauded the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee for passing an amendment to include the Railway Safety Act (RSA) in the BUILD America 250 Act, marking a major step forward in the fight to strengthen freight rail safety protections for railroad workers and communities nationwide.
For years, the IAM Union, Transportation Communications Union (TCU/IAM) and rail labor unions have warned lawmakers and regulators about deteriorating safety conditions caused by aggressive cost-cutting, understaffing, longer trains, and unsafe operating practices imposed by Class I freight railroad carriers. Those concerns were sadly confirmed on Feb. 3, 2023 when a Norfolk Southern train derailed in the small town of East Palestine, Ohio, and tank cars loaded with toxic chemicals were set aflame, polluting the area for many miles.
The legislation advances long-overdue reforms aimed at protecting railroad workers, first responders, and the tens of millions of Americans living near freight rail corridors, just like the residents of East Palestine.
The Railway Safety Act amendment includes provisions that:
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Require railroads to properly use wayside defect detectors and stop trains when dangerous defects are identified
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Prohibits arbitrary railroad-imposed time limits on rail safety inspections
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Closes loopholes in regulations to promote and protect the use of qualified mechanical inspectors in performing critical safety inspections
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Expands enhanced safety requirements for hazardous materials shipments
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Requires two-person crews on most Class I freight trains, including those carrying hazardous materials
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Improves emergency response information and resources for communities and first responders
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Strengthens federal freight rail safety oversight and accountability measures
The unions also thanked U.S. Reps. Troy Nehls (R-Texas), Chris Deluzio (D-Pa.), Rob Bresnahan (R-Pa.), Dina Titus (D-Nev.), Jeff Van Drew (R-N.J.), and Emilia Sykes (D-Ohio) for leading the bipartisan amendment effort in the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
The IAM Union and TCU/IAM recognized the Trump Administration for making rail safety legislation a priority and Vice President JD Vance for introducing and championing the Railway Safety Act while serving in the United States Senate following the East Palestine derailment disaster.
“Today’s committee vote is a major victory for railroad workers and communities that have spent years demanding action while Class I rail carriers prioritized profits over safety,” said IAM Union International President Brian Bryant. “Our members know firsthand the dangers created by rushed inspections, reduced staffing and unsafe operating practices. This legislation represents meaningful progress toward finally putting safety first across the freight rail industry.”
“This legislation reflects years of advocacy from frontline railroad workers who have continued sounding the alarm about dangerous conditions across the industry,” said TCU/IAM National President Matt Hollis. “Railroaders deserve the staffing levels, inspection protections and safety standards necessary to safely operate the nation’s freight rail network.”
“For too long, freight rail carriers have pushed unsafe operating models that place enormous pressure on workers while putting communities at risk,” said Josh Hartford, IAM Special Assistant to the International President for the IAM Rail Division. “This legislation addresses many of the systemic safety failures rail labor has warned about for years.”
“Railroad workers have fought tirelessly for these protections because they understand what is at stake every day on the job,” said IAM District 19 President and Directing General Chair Reece Murtagh. “This committee vote sends a strong message that Congress is finally listening to the workers who keep this industry moving.”
The IAM Union and TCU/IAM urged Congress to continue advancing the Railway Safety Act through the legislative process and called on lawmakers in both parties to support final passage.
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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