Bill McMorris of the Washington Free Beacon reports on a response among franchise business owners to the latest high-profile unionization campaign.
A coalition of small business owners plans on ramping up its political donations to combat union campaigns against franchise businesses.
Steve Caldeira, president and CEO of the International Franchise Association, announced on Tuesday that IFA and its affiliated political action committee plan on dramatically increasing political donations in 2016.
FranPAC, which represents the interests of the nation’s more than half-a-million franchise businesses and the eight million jobs they are responsible for, raised $1.3 million in the 2013-2014. It is looking to nearly triple that amount in the near future through its Franchise Action Network, which mobilizes grassroots advocacy and public relations campaigns.
“We need to raise at least another $3 to $4 million by the end of 2016 to successfully run the type of campaign that allows us the best chance to win,” Caldeira said. “We are in unprecedented times in this industry and we need FranPAC to continue to effectively educate members of Congress on the time-tested and proven franchise model.”
IFA is facing off against some of the most entrenched union interests in the country. The Service Employees International Union, which has targeted some of the nation’s largest franchise corporations, is routinely one of the most politically active groups in the country, spending tens of millions of dollars each election.
