From the perennial fights over Chick-fil-A to claims that fast food disproportionately hurts low-income and minority communities via poor nutrition, it's easy to see how fast food entered political debate. But far from being limited to culture war clashes, the business model of the industry itself is increasingly under attack.
The battlefront starts with so-called "joint employer" or "joint liability" standards, which the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) is expected to officially impose soon. This would essentially require franchisee employees to be counted as employees of the franchisor parent corporation by holding the franchisor liable for the actions of its individual franchisees. It also would make it easier for unions to organize at the parent company level, rather than via individual franchise outlets. Progressives have been pushing for years to impose joint employer standards onto the franchise model, and the Biden administration is echoing the Obama administration in following through (after a brief hiatus during Donald Trump's presidency).
