Apple has agreed to settle charges of labor rights violations filed with America's employment watchdog by whistleblower Ashley Gjøvik.
"Today marks a monumental moment in my legal battles for accountability and worker rights: The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) has finalized a settlement with Apple, requiring the company to rescind its unlawful workplace policies on a nationwide basis," Gjøvik said in a statement on her website this week.
Gjøvik, a former senior engineering program manager at Apple who presently oversees an air pollution research program at Northeastern University and advocates for corporate responsibility, filed a complaint with the NLRB in 2021.
Under the settlement [PDF] stemming from that complaint, Apple acknowledged its Confidentiality and Intellectual Property Agreement with its workers "does not include wages, hours, and working conditions," and does not bar employees from speaking to the press about these topics. It also says Apple acknowledges employees can share personal contact information with coworkers and can engage in union activity and other protected concerted action.
The iPhone giant was pushed to publicly acknowledge the above after Gjøvik claimed she was fired for engaging in activity that's supposed to be protected under labor law, such as raising concerns about working conditions.
For example, per her NLRB complaint, she circulated a petition among employees about return-to-office concerns, talked to newspaper outlets about...
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