The Employee Free Choice Act of 2009 has franchises lobbying politicians to block the legislation that could ‘dramatically increase labor costs.’
As of early May, there were reports in the national media that a compromise bill was being drafted by Democratic Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, who was said to be holding private meetings with a minority group of Democrats opposed to the legislation in its current form, including Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.).
Andrew Weikert, director of government affairs for the Auntie Anne’s Inc. hot pretzel chain, is spending a lot of time in Washington these days battling a contentious labor issue his company fears could critically impair its franchise system at a time when economic recovery remains uncertain.
The Lancaster, Pennsylvania–based quick-serve operating nearly 1,000 units is just one of many restaurant companies taking a hard line against the Employee Free Choice Act of 2009 (EFCA), also known as “card check†legislation, which was introduced in identical bills in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives on March 10. More.