RENEE MONTAGNE, HOST:
NPR's Business News begins with a labor ruling against McDonald's. The National Labor Relations Board says that the fast-food chain could be held liable alongside its franchises for labor and wage violations. The case grew out of a series of strikes by McDonald's employees demanding higher wages. The board gave merit to a number of complaints that franchises illegally fired workers, cut their hours or threatened them in the wake of those protests. McDonald's will challenge the ruling, but if it's upheld, it could become easier for employees to unionize nationwide. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.