US labor board drops allegation that Apple’s CEO violated staff’ rights

The Nationwide Labor Relations Board has withdrawn “most of the claims” it made towards Apple in relation to cases brought in 2021 by former staff, in line with Bloomberg. Specifically, it dismissed an allegation that Apple CEO Tim Prepare dinner violated employees’ rights when he despatched an all-staff electronic mail that yr, which mentioned “individuals who leak confidential info don’t belong” within the firm. Prepare dinner additionally mentioned within the electronic mail that Apple was “doing the whole lot in [its] energy to establish those that leaked” info from an inner assembly the earlier week, whereby administration answered employees’ questions on pay fairness and Texas’ anti-abortion regulation.

Apple did not “tolerate disclosures of confidential info, whether or not it’s product IP or the small print of a confidential assembly,” Prepare dinner wrote on the time. The NLRB has now withdrawn among the claims made in complaints by former worker Ashley Gjøvik, together with that Apple advised staff to not disclose firm communications, and that it had suspended Gjøvik in retaliation and fired her unlawfully. However, not all the allegations have been withdrawn. Apple settled a separate case with Gjøvik back in April, which she announced as a win for employees, because the settlement required Apple to revise guidelines round worker agreements and discussions of firm info to make clear “that staff can speak about their pay, working circumstances, and union organizing with out retaliation,” and converse to the press, amongst different issues.

As well as dropping its declare that Prepare dinner’s electronic mail violated employees’ rights, the labor board can be withdrawing its allegation that the firing of activist Janneke Parrish, one of many leaders of the #AppleToo motion, broke the regulation. It is dismissing its earlier allegations that Apple broke the regulation by imposing confidentiality guidelines and surveilling employees or making them suppose they had been underneath surveillance, as effectively. After an investigation, NLRB beforehand got here to the conclusion that Prepare dinner’s electronic mail and Apple’s general conduct had been “interfering with, restraining and coercing staff within the train of their rights.”

Bloomberg says this is only one occasion of the NLRB being extra pleasant to corporations underneath President Trump. We have reached out to the NLRB for extra info.

Correction, September 27, 2025, 6:42PM ET: This story incorrectly said that the NLRB had withdrawn claims made towards Apple in complaints filed by staff together with Cher Scarlett. Scarlett’s costs towards Apple, which relate to pay fairness, suppression of wage discussions and constructive discharge, haven’t been withdrawn or dismissed.

This text has additionally been up to date to incorporate extra details about allegations by former worker Ashley Gjøvik which have been withdrawn, and about Apple’s earlier settlement with Gjøvik.