The ongoing unionizing battles within the Starbucks system continues to escalate on both fronts as the Workers United union has filed more complaints with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB). In addition, the company has advised employees in two more stores – one in Seattle and the other in Kansas City, both of which have…
Read More »There is more trouble coming down the pike from the NLRB in the form of revisions to a couple of regulations from the agency. As we’ve seen in the past, General Counsel Jennifer Abruzzo has been aggressive in pushing to overturn past decisions by the NLRB that upheld the position of business interests. Now, with…
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At no point since Independent Joe began publishing in 2012 has there been as strong a push to unionize quick-service restaurants as there is today. In the last edition of this magazine, with the cover echoing patriot Paul Revere’s call, “The unions are coming! The unions are coming!” we saw how a nascent effort to…
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Dunkin’ and other quick-service franchise owners face some big challenges as we head into the summer. The good news is that the economy is picking up steam, with rising demand for everything from coffee and snacks to cars as people return to work. But as the economy comes back to life, the quick-service restaurant sector…
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Once elected, President Joe Biden made it clear he would make swift and sweeping changes at the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in order to advance his pro-worker agenda. Soon after promising to be “the strongest labor president you have ever had,” Biden fired General Counsel Peter Robb along with Robb’s deputy. He has since…
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It would be hard to think of a tougher year for the restaurant industry than 2020, which saw the coronavirus pandemic turn the world upside down. But as we head into 2021, there is light and hope on the horizon. A slew of new vaccines is rolling out across the country, while the $900 billion…
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Franchise owners at DDIFO’s national convention in Las Vegas had surely heard all the talk about the end of franchising as we know it. The National Labor Relations Board’s controversial joint-employer decision has triggered a backlash in the franchising world, with the labor board ruling that a big recycling company is responsible for the employees…
Read More »In what may represent some refinement in their recent advisory regarding “joint-employers”, the NLRB recently issued a ruling declaring that restaurant franchise Freshii does not qualify as a “joint-employer” in a case involving alleged retaliation by a Freshii franchisee against employees involved in unionizing activities. Essentially, the NLRB ruled that Freshii “control” over its franchisee’s…
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We have two meetings that members will want to attend before summer arrives – the first will be held at the Holiday Inn, Boardman, Ohio on May 21. Registration for this meeting, which will feature franchisee attorney Pete Silverman, a partner with the firm Shulman, Loop & Kendrick in Toledo, Ohio, is now available on…
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DDIFO has confirmed our next few member meetings, taking us into the summer months. Members in Ohio, Pennsylvania and surrounding environs will want to mark their calendars for May 21, when we will present “New NLRB Rules and Their Impact on Franchisees!” at the Holiday Inn in Boardman, Ohio. The meeting will begin with our…
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