McDonald’s Under Fire for Labor Violations in Landmark Joint Employer Case
Opening arguments kicked off Thursday in a long-awaited National Labor Relations Board case that could, for the first time ever, put McDonald’s on the hook for labor violations committed by the company’s franchised restaurants, reports International Business Times.
The case could determine whether McDonald’s is a so-called joint employer of workers at its franchisees, the independently-owned businesses that make up 90 percent of the company’s roughly 13,000 stores in the U.S and employ the vast majority of its 420,000 workers, explains reporter Cole Stangler.
“In addition to making the company more liable for labor violations, a decision from the NLRB that McDonald’s is a joint employer would open the door for a union formed by workers at franchised stores to bring the parent company to the bargaining table,” according to the report. “Such a ruling could also set a precedent for other fast-food franchises, according to industry observers and legal experts.”
