A case brought by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) against McDonald's finally kicked off Thursday after several years of delay. The case will answer the question of whether or not McDonald's should be considered a joint employer of workers at its franchise stores. If the NLRB determines that McDonald's is in fact a joint employer, it would make the company more liable for labor violations and allow franchise employees to unionize and bring their parent company to the bargaining table. The case could potentially take several more years to resolve.
See "McDonald’s Under Fire For Labor Violations In Landmark Joint Employer Case", Cole Stangler, The International Business Times, March 11, 2016