Protesters rally outside a Chicago McDonald's, calling for a $15 per hour minimum wage, on Dec. 4. The National Labor Relations Board filed charges Friday accusing McDonald's and some franchisees of retaliating against workers who participated in protests. UPI/Brian Kersey | License Photo

WASHINGTON, Dec. 19 (UPI) -- McDonald's and some franchisees retaliated against workers who participated in demonstrations over hours and working conditions, the NLRB said Friday.

Regional offices of the National Labor Relations Board filed 13 complaints involving 78 specific charges, officials said. The NLRB said some complaints have been settled or found to be without merit since an investigation began in 2012.


McDonald's USA is charged as a co-employer with the franchise-holders. A company spokeswoman said in a statement that McDonald's is not the employer of the workers involved, and the NLRB's charges "improperly and dramatically strike at the heart of the franchise system."

"McDonald's is disappointed with the board's decision to overreach and move forward with these charges, and will contest the joint employer allegation as well as the unfair labor practice charges in the proper forums," she said.

The charges involve "discriminatory discipline, reductions in hours, discharges, and other coercive conduct directed at employees in response to union and protected concerted activity, including threats, surveillance, interrogations, promises of benefit, and overbroad restrictions on communicating with union representatives or with other employees about unions and the employees' terms and conditions of employment."

The NLRB said that to speed up the case three hearings have been scheduled in the eastern, midwestern and western regions of the United States, to start in March.