Small Business Owners Rally in Atlanta

ATLANTA, April 10, 2015 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, small business advocates will take to the streets of Atlanta to rally outside of the regional National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) headquarters, raising awareness around a recent recommendation by the NLRB's General Counsel that would potentially upend the franchise system and choke off the American Dream for tens of thousands of entrepreneurs. The group, organized by the Job Creators Network (JCN), is a coalition of small business owners, employees, and advocates opposed to the NLRB's General Counsel's "joint employer" recommendation, which would significantly impact franchise businesses — particularly those owned by minorities. 

If the general counsel's recommendation were to take effect, franchisors and franchisees would be considered "joint employers" of any employee of the franchise which would increase liability among franchise owners, increase costs of franchising, and threaten franchisee's control over their small businesses. The increased liability costs associated with the rule would be particularly devastating among minorities who generally have less access to capital.

For a short explainer video on the NLRB "joint employer" rule, please click here. 

The rally will occur between 2:00 PM and 3:00 PM outside of the regional NLRB office in Atlanta and will conclude with the delivery of a letter to the NLRB Regional Director, Claude Harrell. A copy of the letter is available here. 

The rally in Atlanta is part of an ongoing series that began last month in Tampa, Florida, where two-dozen small business owners gathered outside of the Tampa regional NLRB office. The rally gained radio and print media attention, including an article in the Tampa Tribune. For more information about the Tampa rally, including pictures and video, please click here. 

The rallies are one component of JCN's overall campaign that includes national advertising, grassroots, and media outreach. The campaign includes a petition on its website --DefendMainStreet.com -- calling on small business owners and citizens to "Pledge to Defend Main Street" and "Let the NLRB Know: This is Unacceptable." View the petition here.

"We are rallying in Atlanta to continue pressuring the National Labor Relations Board to back off America's small business owners," said Alfredo Ortiz, President and CEO of the Job Creators Network. "Our efforts are intended to defend a franchise system that works and to fight against government overreach that will raise the barriers for entry into small business ownership, particularly for minorities — who currently account for 1 out of every 5 franchise owners."

There are 770,000 small businesses in America that are part of the franchise system supporting 18 million direct and indirect American jobs. There are 32,546 franchised businesses in Georgia supporting 338,400 direct jobs, and 2,218 franchised businesses in Atlanta supporting 31,400 direct jobs. 

Job Creators Network (JCN) is the voice of real job creators that has been missing from the debate on jobs and our economic crisis. JCN members talk about paychecks, not politics, helping the public and policymakers understand how to create jobs. For more information please visit www.JobCreatorsNetwork.com and www.DefendMainStreet.com.

SOURCE Job Creators Network (JCN)