The McDonald’s model goes on trial
By Sarah Sutton • March 17, 2016
In courtroom 238 in New York’s Federal Plaza this week, McDonald’s executives testified publicly for the first time about shop-floor and top-level operations of their global franchise operation. The legal case against the company, now being heard before the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), could upend the existing fast-food franchise model for all casual chains in the United States. McJobs are having their day in court. What’s specifically at stake: whether McDonald’s is responsible for labor conditions at restaurants that bear its name.