A U.S. labour board filed a complaint against Apple, claiming that the company’s enforcement of several illegal workplace policies violates workers’ rights to organise and demand better working conditions.
TakeAway Points:
- Apple was accused by a U.S. labour board of violating workers’ rights to organise and demand improved working conditions by upholding a number of illegal workplace policies.
- The complaint accuses Apple of “interfering with, restraining, and coercing employees in the exercise of” their rights under federal labour law.
- Apple plans to produce new iPad Air versions in addition to an updated iPhone SE that will serve as a new low-end model, which is about to go into production.
Apple is accused of violating workers’ rights
The National Labour Relations Board, in the complaint announced late on Monday, claims Apple required employees nationwide to sign illegal confidentiality, non-disclosure, and non-compete agreements and imposed overly broad misconduct and social media policies.
The complaint accuses Apple of “interfering with, restraining, and coercing employees in the exercise of” their rights under federal labour law.
Apple, in a statement provided by a spokesperson, said it has always respected its employees’ rights to discuss wages, hours, and working conditions, which is reflected in its employment policies.
“We strongly disagree with these claims and will continue to share the facts at the hearing,” the company said.
If Apple does not settle the case, it will be heard by an administrative judge beginning in January. The agency is seeking to require Apple to rescind the allegedly unlawful rules and notify its entire U.S. workforce of their legal rights.
Administrative judges’ decisions can be reviewed by the five-member labour board, whose rulings can be appealed to federal appeals courts.
The complaint stems from charges filed against Apple in 2021 by Ashley Gjovik, a former senior engineering manager at the company. Gjovik said various Apple rules, including those relating to confidentiality and social media use, deter employees from discussing issues such as pay equity and sex discrimination with each other and the media.
Gjovik’s lawsuit against Apple
Gjovik also filed a lawsuit in California federal court in May accusing Apple of illegally retaliating against her for filing the NLRB complaints and attempting to organize other workers, which the company has denied. A judge on Tuesday dismissed the bulk of Gjovik’s lawsuit while giving her a chance to amend some of her claims.
The company is facing at least two other pending NLRB cases claiming it fired an employee at its Cupertino, California, headquarters for criticizing managers and illegally interfered with a union campaign at a retail store in Atlanta. The company has denied wrongdoing.
The NLRB in May ruled the manager of an Apple store in Manhattan unlawfully interrogated an employee about his support for a union. Two Apple stores in the U.S. have unionized since 2022, and unions are working to organize several other locations.
Apple prepares iPhone SE and iPad Air upgrades for 2025
Apple is close to starting production of an updated iPhone SE that will serve as a new low-end model and is also aiming to manufacture new iPad Air models, according to Bloomberg.
The refreshed Apple products are expected to be released early next year, the report said.
This marks the first update to the iPhone SE since 2022, when Apple added 5G and a faster A15 Bionic chip to the model. The model helps the company to better compete with industry leaders Samsung, Xiaomi, and others in the mid-range smartphone market.
The iPhone SE is generally considered the cheapest model from the iPhone series, with prices starting at $429.
The new iPad Air models — codenamed J607 and J637 — will focus on internal improvements, the report said, adding that the company is also preparing an updated version of its Magic Keyboard accessory, codenamed R307 and R308, for both the 11-inch and 13-inch versions of the new Air.
The new SE phone is expected to support the company’s AI software, Apple Intelligence, the report added.
Early in September, Apple unveiled its long-awaited AI-powered iPhone 16 models, which promised improvements in its Siri personal assistant as well as enhancing features such as understanding and identifying objects captured by the phone camera.