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Matthew Haller, 202-662-0770

Jenna Weisbord, 202-662-0766

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@franchising411

IFA Applauds Subcommittee Moves to Protect Small Business Owners from Controversial NLRB rulings 

WASHINGTON, July 7 — IFA President & CEO Robert Cresanti released the statement below following the passage of the U.S. House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Appropriations Subcommittee funding bill this morning, which includes a provision to save local businesses from further enforcement of the National Labor Relations Board’s (NLRB) harmful and overly expansive “joint employer” policy:

“Small businesses work every day to serve our communities and meet countless demands. They simply need the protection of the long-standing, successful joint employer standard to continue running their businesses and creating jobs. We applaud Chairman Cole and the committee for taking an important step toward providing a measure of regulatory certainty for small businesses across the country. Their push will help restore certainty to franchising, allowing for the continued creation of new businesses and much needed jobs.

“Through our ongoing and focused advocacy, legislative and regulatory efforts along with the Coalition to Save Local Businesses, the IFA will continue to work closely with Members of Congress from both parties to protect an industry that directly supports nearly 9.1 million jobs, provides a ladder of opportunity for people to succeed and contributes $890 billion in economic output for the national economy.”

In its 2015 decision, the NLRB declared California-based recycling company Browning-Ferris Industries to be a joint employer with staffing services company, Leadpoint. This decision ignored more than 50 years of regulatory and legal precedent and retroactively adopted a far broader definition of joint employer than had ever been contemplated. Since the NLRB’s ruling, thousands of small business owners and members of the Coalition to Save Local Businesses have engaged their members of Congress in an effort to educate them about the impact on locally owned businesses.

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About the International Franchise Association

Celebrating 56 years of excellence, education and advocacy, the International Franchise Association is the world’s oldest and largest organization representing franchising worldwide. IFA works through its government relations and public policy, media relations and educational programs to protect, enhance and promote franchising and the more than 800,000 franchise establishments that support nearly 9.1 million direct jobs, $994 billion of economic output for the U.S. economy and 3 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP). IFA members include franchise companies in over 300 different business format categories, individual franchisees and companies that support the industry in marketing, law, technology and business development.

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