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The proposed class action led by James and Darrell Byrd, brothers with four McDonald’s restaurants in Tennessee, was filed by the law firm representing 52 Black former franchisees who filed a similar lawsuit on Aug. 31. McDonald’s was accused of placing Black franchisees in undesirable inner-city locations with high security and insurance costs and below-average sales, and driving many away by failing to support them as debts rise and profits fall short. Jim Ferraro, a lawyer for the plaintiffs, estimated that McDonald’s has 186 Black franchisees in the United States, down from a peak of 377 in 1998, who own...

Franchise businesses received a significant boost from the Trump administration on Friday as labor regulators began to unravel one of the Obama administration's most controversial employment policies. The National Labor Relations Board is considering a proposal to reinstate the long-standing interpretation of the joint-employer standard, which maintains that parent or umbrella companies are not liable for labor violations committed solely by franchisees or subcontractors. The Obama administration had scrapped the traditional standard in an effort to hold parent companies accountable even if they played no direct role in the workplace violation, giving labor unions a foot in the door for...

MISSOULA, Mont., June 30, 2017 - HuHot Mongolian Grills, LLC is enjoying a busy 2017 filled with growth. The chain has already opened 3 new locations this year with an estimated 6 more locations on the way. In addition, HuHot saw over 3% SSS growth and almost a percent in growth counts in their last period. With a strategic focus on loyalty, training, and value HuHot anticipates this trend will continue. The year of growth started with HuHot’s largest franchise ownership group, an affiliate of Sun Capital, FRC Group, who opened locations in Lawrence, KS, followed quickly by a location...

Are franchises small, independent businesses or should they be considered part of a much larger company? The question is at the heart of two upcoming legal cases. The outcomes could affect profits and change how franchisees hire, fire, manage and pay workers.

The National Labor Relations Board is expected in the coming weeks to weigh in on several high-profile labor cases with major implications on workforce and union issues, ranging from college football players to fast food restaurants. Business are bracing for a flurry of action from a labor board they’ve accused of taking on an activist, pro-union agenda. "We’ve seen the board become very active and aggressive under the Obama administration,” said Beth Milito, senior executive counsel for the National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB). One of the most closely watched cases on the labor board’s agenda involves a bid by...

McDonald’s and its franchisees illegally retaliated against employees for participating in union-related activities, the National Labor Relations Board’s top lawyer alleged Friday in a case with sweeping industry implications. NLRB general counsel Richard Griffin announced Friday he will issue 13 complaints involving 78 charges against franchises and McDonald’s USA, LLC. Though many of these alleged labor violations were committed by independent franchise owners, Griffin ruled earlier this year that McDonald’s can be held liable for those actions as a so-called joint employer, leaving the corporatrion — and potentially other franchisors — exposed to such claims. McDonald’s said the decision will...

If the Obama Administration has its way, Ronald McDonald may soon have to wipe that grin off his face as he stands beneath the Golden Arches. One of the most successful models for expanding small-business ownership in America is under full-scale attack from unions and the White House. The political strategy is to fundamentally change the legal relationship between locally owned stores like McDonald's (NYSE:MCD), Popeyes (NASDAQ:PLKI), Taco Bell (NYSE:YUM) and their multibillion-dollar parent companies. No longer would franchisees be legally classified as independent contractors to the parent company. The left wants the employees of each of the hundreds of...

Labor Day provides the opportunity to evaluate those government agencies that impact the workplace, and gauge if they are helping or hurting the employment situation in America. In the six Labor Days since President Obama took office, his appointees have gone to outrageous lengths to compel the 93 percent of the private-sector workforce who don't belong to an organized labor union to become dues-paying members. While the Labor Department and the National Mediation Board have each pushed hard to create rules that overwhelmingly favor union organizers over those employees who oppose unionization, it is the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB)...

The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) made a very strange decision last week to rule that McDonald's MCD -0.23% the corporation, was a joint employer of the staff in the franchised restaurants. It was, of course, at the urging of those labour activists who would like to union organise in the sector. Dealing with one national company is obviously going to be easier than dealing with thousands of independent business owners. There’s a number of problems with this decision ranging from the way that it overturns what has long thought to be settled law, to it obviating already signed contracts...

Would you like to own a small business someday? If so, sorry — the Service Employees International Union would rather you didn’t. SEIU has convinced the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) to eviscerate the franchising model that many small-business owners rely on. Under the current model, these small-business owners pay for the right to use a corporate brand. The franchising corporation researches appealing products. It also does marketing to promote the brand. In return, the local franchisees agree to produce those products to fit certain price and quality specifications. The local franchisee handles all the hiring and employment. This division...

The International Franchise Association held a convention in Washington this week where most of the Radio Shack, Dunkin Donuts, Curves and other franchisers were grumbling about new federal regulations, especially the impact of Obamacare. Most, said Atlanta Taco Bell and Kentucky Fried Chicken franchiser David Barr, presumed that the reports about how hard Obamacare will hit them were overblown. "They had their head in the sand," he told Secrets

DUMFRIES, Va. - Tony Vazquez says the years he spent serving as a military police officer at Fort Belvoir prepared him to own his own pizza business. Vazquez and his wife, Shelley, are expected to open their Little Caesars franchise at 16708 Jefferson Davis Highway, Suite 121 in Dumfries on Thursday. “It was the discipline and teamwork I learned in the Army that made a big difference in my life,” he said. “One of the most important things I learned is that when you make a commitment, you stick to it. You must believe in what you are doing.” Tony...

It's a new year and time for a new thread. If you're looking for a job and/or a career; this is the thread for you -- so bookmark it and tell others about this thread. Updates will be ongoing.

In today's knee-jerk, politically-reactive climate, it's rare to find a company that is willing to baldly state its political beliefs. This is particularly true in the world of fast food, where patrons range across the political spectrum and a misplaced word or ill-conceived statement could easily spell the end of business. In this context, even companies that are openly religious, like Chik-Fil-A tend to downplay their affiliations. Things are a little different at Burger King, at least in Memphis. While estimates vary depending upon the report, between 2 and 10 BK restaurants in the area recently put up billboard signs...

Despite setbacks, al-Qaida remains a potent threat. In mid-August, the U.S. intelligence community's senior ranking terrorism analyst concluded that while increased counterterrorism efforts worldwide have constrained the ability of al-Qaida to attack the United States and its allies, the group "remains the most serious terrorist threat to the United States." As recently thwarted terrorist plots in Britain, Germany and elsewhere make clear, seven years after 9/11 we remain in a heightened threat environment. But the nature of the transnational threats facing the world today is far different than the ones the United States and its allies faced on 9/11. While...

VALDOSTA, Ga., Jan. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Little Caesar Enterprises, Inc. today celebrates the grand opening of the fifth store to open under the Little Caesars Veterans Program as U.S. military veteran and Little Caesars franchisee Patricia Evans opens her doors for business at 1650 F Baytree Road in Valdosta, Georgia. "The Little Caesars Veterans Program has provided me the opportunity to transition to a new career as my family and I begin the next chapter in our lives," said Evans. "I am proud to be the first woman to open a store under this program, and I'm excited to be...

WASHINGTON, Feb. 14, 2007 – When he returned home from an 11-month deployment to Iraq in October 2005, Army Staff Sgt. John Reid realized he’d stashed away a sizeable sum of cash and wanted to put it to work for himself. “I didn’t want to waste it on a new car or something like that,” said the New York National Guardsman, who spent five years on active duty before joining the Guard in 1989. Instead, Reid decided to invest in his own business. He attended a franchise expo, ultimately buying a Glass Doctor franchise in Somerset, N.J. Only when...

TAMPA - Anyone watching local cable TV recently may have noticed a curious infomercial. A tall, handsome spokesman was trumpeting the rewards of owning a Quiznos Sub franchise. Be your own boss, the pitchman kept reiterating. Set your own schedule. Enjoy independence as a business owner. Denver-based Quiznos is following up its infomercial with a series of seminars at Tampa Bay area hotels this week, hoping to interest potential franchise owners. But behind the scenes, there is turmoil among some Quiznos franchisees here and across North America. According to a Tampa Tribune analysis, 80 percent of Quiznos restaurants in Hillsborough...

How al-Qa'ida has split into dozens of autonomous, hard-to-find 'franchises' By Kim Sengupta 22 November 2003 The Afghan war was meant to deprive al-Qa'ida of the protection of its Taliban allies and destroy it as a fighting force. But the Istanbul bombings are the latest example of how the organisation has reinvented itself to continue its jihad. Al-Qai'da has proved to be a many-headed hydra. One was decapitated in Afghanistan, with many of Osama bin Laden's senior lieutenants killed or captured, and much of its financial resources uncovered and blocked. But the organisation has now sprung up again in a...

For education and discussion only. Not for commercial use. The deal was all but done. Until it suddenly went as cold as a day-old cup of coffee. After months of negotiations, Bethesda, Md.-based HMS Host Corp. struck an agreement to replace the struggling business center at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport with a Starbucks. The business center had generated about $5,000 a year for the City of Austin's coffers. The Starbucks deal was for $64,000 annually for eight years. Starbucks even agreed to stray from its corporate standards by designing the shop with a noticeable Austin ambiance. Current airport tenants had first...