• Apple sent a memo containing anti-union talking points to retail store managers, Vice reports.

• The lines prompted managers to say staff may get fewer career opportunities if their store unionized.

• Three Apple retail stores have employees leading union drives at the moment.

Apple circulated a memo containing anti-union talking points for store managers, Vice reports.

The memo comes as three employees at three separate US Apple stores have announced union drives.

The memo, which Vice obtained and published, included lines such as: "If a union were to come into our store we would be placing many of our interactions into the hands of a third party."

It also suggested that managers say employees would have fewer opportunities through a company program called Career Experiences if they signed union contracts.

Career Experiences is a program that lets Apple retail staff work in different roles at the company to further their career development, according to Vice.

"I can't speculate what would happen to Career Experiences under a union — it would be subject to negotiations — but what if the contract restricted someone from doing any work outside a narrow job classifications?," part of the memo said.

It also suggested that managers tell staff there would be "less attention to merit" if their store unionized, saying that union contracts favor seniority when giving priority on promotions, transfers, and shifts.

"The quality of your work may not even be a factor," it added.

Vice confirmed the memo had been sent to managers at multiple Apple stores. One employee at a unionizing store told Vice they had heard managers mention all the talking points on the memo.

Apple declined to answer a question from Vice about why it circulated the memo. In a statement to the publication, it said: "We are fortunate to have incredible retail team members and we deeply value everything they bring to Apple."