Fast-Food Worker Had Right to Stage 'Solo Strike
A Papa John’s Pizza worker who took time off to participate in a Fight for $15 convention and related protests was unlawfully fired for engaging in a “solo strike,” the National Labor Relations Board’s Division of Advice concluded in a memorandum released June 14.
The memorandum illustrates that an employee who leaves work in what appears to be a purely personal protest may have federal labor law protection if the worker is aiding or supporting a labor union.
RoHoHo Inc., a franchisee that operates Papa John’s restaurants in South Carolina, argued it lawfully discharged the employee, who failed to report to work after management denied a request for time off. Company policy generally required employees to give seven days’ notice of such requests, and the employee failed to comply with that requirement.
Associate General Counsel Jayme L. Sophir wrote that the employee’s participation in Fight for $15 activities was protected by the National Labor Relations Act because the worker was supporting the Southern Workers Organizing Committee, a labor union.
https://www.bna.com/fastfood-worker-right-n73014476522/
