A new civil rights suit is holding McDonald’s responsible for a franchise owner’s actions
Former McDonalds workers filed a lawsuit Thursday that could put more responsibility on national restaurant chains for franchise owners’ actions.
The suit, filed in Virginia, alleges that a McDonald’s franchisee was acting in a racially motivated way when he fired several employees. But the workers are taking their grievances a step further by also suing McDonald’s national corporation, arguing the larger company is liable for the franchisee’s alleged actions.
The suit also comes just one month after the National Labor Relations Board took the unprecedented step of holding McDonald’s Corporation responsible as a “joint employer” for labor violations the agency says occurred at McDonald’s franchise locations. McDonalds is fighting the distinction.
