MEDIA ADVISORY: Small Business Owners to Rally Outside Atlanta NLRB Office Friday Afternoon

ATLANTA, GA – Today, the Job Creators Network (JCN) announced that it is organizing a rally outside of the regional National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) office in Atlanta, GA. The rally is part of JCN’s ongoing campaign to defend the franchise system that is under threat by the NLRB recommendation that franchisors be considered “joint employers” with their franchisees, a major shift in labor law that will drive up the costs of purchasing a franchise and choke off opportunity for tens of thousands of new small business owners.

The rally is part of a series that began last month in Tampa, Florida. A promotional video for the rally includes footage from the Tampa event. It can be viewed here.

When: Friday, April 10 between 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Where: On the sidewalk outside 233 Peachtree Center Ave NE, Atlanta, GA 30303

Who: A coalition of small business owners, employees and advocates.

The rally is part 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 and a short video that explains the NLRB decision 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.