"The staff decision issued today by the National Labor Relations Board recommending that McDonald's and its franchisees should be considered joint employers gives a whole new meaning to the word 'outrageous,'" National Retail Federation Senior Vice President for Government Relations David French said in a statement from the trade group.



McDonald's and other fast food operators have been pressured by union groups in recent months to raise wages and improve working conditions. McDonald's and other restaurant operators have said that franchisees are independent business owners who set their own policies.