February 5th, 2015
Fast food companies are invoking ‘Main Street’ to fight unions
By Lydia DePillis, Washington Post
Over the past few months, a quiet fight has been brewing on Capitol hill that could determine the future of labor organizing in America.
At the center of it is McDonald’s. In December, the National Labor Relations Board’s General Counsel found the company controls almost all aspects of its franchisees’ operations. The board is now reconsidering what level of control would make a company into a “joint employer” — companies that, from a legal perspective, have enough influence over working conditions that employees should be able to bargain with it directly. If McDonald’s qualifies, legal experts say it could lead to mass unionization at McDonald’s.
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