Press ReleaseAugust 19, 2014

Franchise Industry Partners with JCN

IFA ramps up defense of industry, Free Enterprise

WASHINGTON, Aug. 19—As the franchise industry continues to come under increasing attack by organized labor and activist groups across the nation, the International Franchise Association has formed a new partnership with the Job Creators Network, an advocacy organization dedicated to educating employees about government policies that negatively impact their business.

This new and important partnership will provide IFA and its membership non-partisan education tools about how existing and prospective government policies affect their workplace, now and in the future.

“Millions of jobs and small businesses are now at risk due to the unprecedented nature of the recent National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) ruling that franchisors and franchisees can be designated as joint-employers,” said IFA President & CEO Steve Caldeira, CFE. “With our continued fight to defend the franchise business model, we must ensure that franchise small business owners are well informed of policies that could alter the way they do business so they are armed with the tools necessary to educate lawmakers.”

“We know 70 percent of small business owners believe Washington is hostile to their efforts to create jobs,” Job Creators Network president Alfredo Ortiz said. “Job Creators Network will allow the IFA to defend the franchise industry through ongoing education by engaging their workforce on public policy decisions.”

IFA’s partnership with the Job Creators Network will integrate into the Franchise Action Network a new strategic initiative that mobilizes franchisors, franchisees and industry suppliers at the grassroots level.

“A coalition of the franchise owners, all promoting a single mission, is the best way to protect our industry from an increasingly hostile legislative and regulatory environment at the federal, state and municipal levels,” said Caldeira.

For more information about Jobs Creator Network and IFA’s Franchise Actions Network please click here.