It’s been a busy weekend for union organizing efforts at U.S. Apple stores, with the union at one store voting to authorize a strike, while workers at another store voted against forming a union.

Back in 2022, workers the Apple store in Towson, Maryland became organized the first formally recognized union at an Apple retail store. That union, which is part of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers, voted Saturday to authorize a strike. The date of this potential strike has yet to be determined.

“This vote today is the first step in demonstrating our solidarity and sends a clear message to Apple,” said the IAM CORE Negotiating Committee in a statement. “The passage of the strike sanction vote highlights IAM CORE’s unwavering commitment to advocating for the rights and well-being of workers in the face of challenges. As discussions with Apple management continue, we remain committed to securing tangible improvements that benefit all employees.”

The union says it has been negotiating with Apple since January 2023 over issues including work-life balance, unpredictable scheduling, and wages.

“We deeply value our team members and we’re proud to provide them with industry leading compensation and exceptional benefits,” an Apple spokesperson told Bloomberg. “As always, we will engage with the union representing our team in Towson respectfully and in good faith.”

Bloomberg also reported that a vote to unionize a Short Hills, New Jersey store with the Communication Workers of America has failed. Before the vote, the CWA filed an unfair labor practice charge against Apple for allegedly retaliating against one of the organizers at the store by scheduling “unprecedented multiple meetings with his supervisor and denying requests for leave.”

Earlier this week, the National Labor Relations Board ruled that Apple violated federal labor laws in 2022 by confiscating union flyers and interrogating staff about unionizing efforts at the Apple store in New York’s World Trade Center.

COLLEGE PARK — Maryland men’s lacrosse has seen this movie before. This time, however, the team changed what could have been a horror flick-style ending.

Avoiding a repeat from last year, the Terps utilized a new-look yet diversified offense and a overpowering performance on faceoffs to wallop visiting Princeton, 16-8, in an NCAA Tournament first-round matchup Saturday night before an announced 3,195 at SECU Stadium.

Senior midfielders Jack Koras and Eric Malever amassed three goals and two assists each, and junior attackman Eric Spanos scored four goals to send seventh-seeded Maryland (9-5) to Saturday’s quarterfinal at Hofstra in Hempstead, New York. The team will clash with No. 2 seed Duke (13-5), which pummeled Atlantic Sun Tournament titlist Utah, 19-7, earlier in the day.

Maryland scored the game’s first three goals and then tallied five straight goals in a 6:41 span bridging the first and second quarters to take a commanding 8-1 advantage. The offense added three more goals in a 71-second stretch to enjoy an 11-3 lead at halftime.

The output helped negate an error-filled game that contributed to 19 turnovers, tying a season worst. That type of effort won’t help against Duke, which induced Utah into turning the ball over 16 times.

Graduate student goalkeeper Logan McNaney (11 saves) outdueled Tigers senior Michael Gianforcaro (nine saves), and the Terps limited Princeton’s starting attack of junior Coulter Mackesy and freshmen Nate Kibiri and Colin Burns to five goals on 17 shots and two assists while committing four turnovers.

The defense got a significant respite from senior Luke Wierman, who won 20 of 26 faceoffs, scooped up a game-high 15 ground balls and dished off one assist.

Kibiri paced Princeton with three goals, Mackesy compiled one goal and two assists, and junior defenseman Colin Mulshine finished with three caused turnovers and three ground balls. But the Tigers (11-5) fell in the first round for the fourth time in their last five NCAA Tournament appearances and have lost in their last three postseason meetings with the Terps.

On May 13, 2023, the Terps were the No. 4 seed, but got stunned by Army West Point, 16-15, to mark their earliest exit from the NCAA Tournament since 2013 when that squad — the No. 8 seed at the time — was blitzed by Cornell, 16-8.

Saturday’s victory assured that Maryland was not bounced from the first round in back-to-back NCAA appearances since the 1993 team was defeated, 15-11, by No. 8 seed Army West Point and the 1994 squad was disposed of, 14-9, by No. 8 seed Duke.

The Terps also dodged ending the season with six losses in their last 10 games and a three-game losing skid. The last time they dropped three games in a row occurred in 2009 when that team fell to Virginia, Navy and Johns Hopkins in three consecutive weekends.

Maryland collected its eighth straight victory over the Tigers, which included a 13-7 cruising at home on Feb. 24. Princeton entered the game on a four-game winning streak but the Terps seemed unfazed.

With sophomore attackman Braden Erksa available but not making his 14th start of the season due to a concussion suffered in a 19-9 setback to Penn State in a Big Ten Tournament semifinal on May 2, Maryland made some personnel changes to its usual starting offense.

Spanos shifted from midfield to attack to join fifth-year senior Daniel Maltz and senior Daniel Kelly. Malever moved from attack to midfield to team up with Koras and graduate student Ryan Siracusa.

Erksa, who entered the game leading the team in points (36) and tied for the lead in goals (22), played sparingly. He took five shots and committed one turnover.

The alterations paid off handsomely. Kelly, a Towson resident and Calvert Hall graduate, racked up two goals and one assist, Maltz scored twice and Siracusa chipped in one goal and one assist.