This is clearly an attempt by the SEIU to unionize the entire QSR Industry. MCD is the biggest and most attractive target. It will be difficult to tie MCD to in store hiring and discipline practices. Many grivences by employee's go directly to state labor boards with local offices. My concern is the attempt to broaden the definition of "joint employer" by exposing the heavy handed methods employed by MCD to force reinvestment decisions that in many cases are clearly not good business decisions or in the best interest of the franchisee except to avoid retaliation from the franchisor. As a factual matter MCD imposes its will on day to day operations including staffing by a number of methods directly and indirectly. This, in my opinion, could easily be seen as a joint employer. Demands for minimum staffing levels plus demands that certain stations remain open in low volume periods certainly supports an argument of "joint employer". Recent demands and requirements that the franchisee be physically present during graded visits exceeds anything in the license agreement and assumes that the franchisee is an employee of the franchisor. I think there are many areas where MCD has exposure to being considered a joint employer.
If the SEIU were to get their way they'd go way beyond the franchised QSR industry and unionize franchised hotels, copy shops, and car car centers, etc, etc.
You are correct. This is not about improving working conditions and wages for employee's. This is about creating a new revenue stream for the SEIU. They want everyone in a service job paying dues to them and they (SEIU) can't guarantee anything to the employee's except for dues.
Much depends on the region and the field people in the region and their personalities. Some come in and want to run everything and some just want to help the operator build sales and make a little money.
Unionize franchisees? It's much more lucrative for the unions to steal a few bucks out of millions of QSR employee's paychecks than it would be to try to make money from a few thousand franchisees.
6 comments:
This is clearly an attempt by the SEIU to unionize the entire QSR Industry. MCD is the biggest and most attractive target. It will be difficult to tie MCD to in store hiring and discipline practices. Many grivences by employee's go directly to state labor boards with local offices. My concern is the attempt to broaden the definition of "joint employer" by exposing the heavy handed methods employed by MCD to force reinvestment decisions that in many cases are clearly not good business decisions or in the best interest of the franchisee except to avoid retaliation from the franchisor. As a factual matter MCD imposes its will on day to day operations including staffing by a number of methods directly and indirectly. This, in my opinion, could easily be seen as a joint employer. Demands for minimum staffing levels plus demands that certain stations remain open in low volume periods certainly supports an argument of "joint employer". Recent demands and requirements that the franchisee be physically present during graded visits exceeds anything in the license agreement and assumes that the franchisee is an employee of the franchisor. I think there are many areas where MCD has exposure to being considered a joint employer.
The SEIU is targeting the wrong group. They should unionize the franchisee's!!!
If the SEIU were to get their way they'd go way beyond the franchised QSR industry and unionize franchised hotels, copy shops, and car car centers, etc, etc.
You are correct. This is not about improving working conditions and wages for employee's. This is about creating a new revenue stream for the SEIU. They want everyone in a service job paying dues to them and they (SEIU) can't guarantee anything to the employee's except for dues.
Much depends on the region and the field people in the region and their personalities. Some come in and want to run everything and some just want to help the operator build sales and make a little money.
Unionize franchisees? It's much more lucrative for the unions to steal a few bucks out of millions of QSR employee's paychecks than it would be to try to make money from a few thousand franchisees.
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