The stores are a pretty critical component in their sales, marketing, and support cycles, and generally considered a big part of their current success.
Even in urban areas of America, Apple Stores are often far away in inconvenient locations. Look at the map of Apple Stores in Seattle; it's a pain in the ass to get to one without a car.
> Don't think the CEO is making their iphones on the line
I didn't realize that anyone at Apple was making iPhones on the line. Last I heard it was primarily Foxconn, along with a few other companies. When did Apple get involved in the manufacture of them?
This is a meaningless hypothetical because in no world is a highly successful company ever going to let go of all their workers. On the other hand, one can imagine in a less capital friendly world, nobody would partake in Apples 1996 junk bond offering that rescued them from bankruptcy. It's counterintuitive that a stupid investor who yolo'd their money could have a bigger impact than intelligent and hardworking workers, but that's exactly what happened. Without investment, these workers wouldn't be able to realize the potential that they had at Apple.
Neither are the people unionizing here...