Apple Violated U.S. Labor Laws With Anti-Leak Email
Apple violated United States exertions laws whilst it despatched out an e mail caution personnel approximately leaking personal statistics approximately the company, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) stated nowadays in a ruling shared through Bloomberg.
Rules that Apple has hooked up round leaks “have a tendency to intervene with, restrain or coerce personnel” from the workout in their rights below the National Labor Relations Act, says the NLRB, as do statements from “high-level executives.”
The NLRB’s choice references an worker e mail that turned into despatched out through Apple CEO Tim Cook in November 2021. Cook stated that folks who leak personal statistics approximately Apple “do now no longer belong” on the company, whether or not they have been discussing “product IP or the information of a personal assembly.” At the time, he threatened that Apple turned into doing “the whole thing in [its] electricity to pick out individuals who leaked.” From Cook’s e mail:
I’m writing nowadays due to the fact I’ve heard from so lots of you have been fantastically annoyed to look the contents of the assembly leak to reporters. This comes after a product release wherein maximum of the information of our bulletins have been additionally leaked to the press.
I need you to realize that I proportion your frustration. These possibilities to attach as a group are truely important. But they best work if we are able to agree with that the content material will live inside Apple. I need to reassure you that we’re doing the whole thing in our electricity to pick out individuals who leaked. As you realize, we do now no longer tolerate disclosures of personal statistics, whether or not it is product IP or the information of a personal assembly. We realize that the leakers represent a small wide variety of people. We additionally realize that folks who leak personal statistics do now no longer belong here.
Cook’s e mail wasn’t referencing a product leak, however turned into as an alternative geared toward personnel who had shared information about a assembly targeted on pay equity, running from home, COVID vaccinations, and more.
According to the NLRB, Cook violated employee rights together along with his statements, and as a result, Apple will want to settle with the NLRB to keep away from a complaint. The NLRB isn’t capable of act on its very own to punish agencies for violations, however NLRB lawsuits are reviewed through administrative regulation judges and may head to federal courtroom docket in which coverage modifications may be enacted.
Last year, the NLRB additionally stated that Apple violated federal regulation through retaining obligatory anti-union conferences and interrogating and coercing personnel at its Atlanta and New York save locations.
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