美国国家公共电台 NPR Regulators Investigate Fast-Food Chains' Limits On Whom They Hire

Regulators Investigate Fast-Food Chains' Limits On Whom They Hire

ARI SHAPIRO, HOST:

A common workplace practice affecting millions of franchise¹ restaurant workers is coming under fire. It involves what are essentially² non-compete agreements that prevent workers from getting jobs at other locations within the same chain. Ten state attorneys general and the District of Columbia are investigating the practice at eight national fast food chains. NPR's Yuki Noguchi reports this is part of a bigger concern among regulators that such practices limit workers' ability to improve their wages.

YUKI NOGUCHI, BYLINE³: Franchise restaurants are plentiful⁴ - more than a quarter of a million in the U.S. by one estimate. Anyone operating one must first sign an agreement with a big brand like Arby's or Wendy's. That agreement includes lots of terms about how to run the restaurant, including usually a provision to not recruit or hire employees from another franchise. Non-compete clauses restricting a worker's ability to take similar jobs are relatively⁵ common for some jobs that involve trade secrets or intellectual property. But regulators argue such measures aren't justified⁶ when it comes to low-wage restaurant work. Josh Shapiro is Pennsylvania's attorney general.

JOSH SHAPIRO: All you're doing there is holding people back. You're driving down wages and benefits and decreasing opportunity. We see that as being wrong, potentially violative of the law, which is why we are leading this investigation⁷ and trying to get to the bottom of it.

NOGUCHI: Shapiro says he hopes the investigation, which also includes Dunkin' Donuts, Panera and Burger King among others, will help quantify how many people are affected⁸ and how it affects workers' ability to move up the ladder. The fast food industry, he says, is just a starting point.

J. SHAPIRO: This is a major problem in the fast food industry, but it's a problem overall with these franchisers⁹.

NOGUCHI: Matt Haller is senior vice¹⁰ president for the International Franchise Association. He says no-poach agreements, as they are known, have been standard for a long time.

MATT HALLER: The intent has always been to protect the unique proprietary¹¹ training.

NOGUCHI: Haller says businesses invest a lot to train workers and don't want others to then be able to poach their people. Other regulators and lawmakers have already expressed concern about no-poach agreements. The Justice Department is investigating such contracts for potential violations¹² of antitrust laws. In February, Democratic senators Cory Booker of New Jersey¹³ and Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts introduced legislation barring contracts that prevent workers from being hired by their competition. The proposal is seen as having little chance of passing a Republican-controlled Congress. The Franchise Association's Haller says a handful of fast food brands have also recently gotten rid of the practice.

HALLER: The business model, you know, wants to help people succeed. And if there are things within franchise agreements that aren't helping¹⁴ employees get ahead, then we, you know, want to do something to address that.

NOGUCHI: Haller declined to say which restaurant chains have revised the policy. Yuki Noguchi, NPR News, Washington.

(SOUNDBITE OF BADBADNOTGOOD AND GHOSTFACE KILLAH'S "FOOD")

1 franchise   

n.特许，特权，专营权，特许权

参考例句：

• Catering in the schools is run on a franchise basis.学校餐饮服务以特许权经营。
• The United States granted the franchise to women in 1920.美国于1920年给妇女以参政权。

2 essentially   

adv.本质上，实质上，基本上

参考例句：

• Really great men are essentially modest.真正的伟人大都很谦虚。
• She is an essentially selfish person.她本质上是个自私自利的人。

3 byline   

n.署名；v.署名

参考例句：

• His byline was absent as well.他的署名也不见了。
• We wish to thank the author of this article which carries no byline.我们要感谢这篇文章的那位没有署名的作者。

4 plentiful   

adj.富裕的，丰富的

参考例句：

• Their family has a plentiful harvest this year.他们家今年又丰收了。
• Rainfall is plentiful in the area.这个地区雨量充足。

5 relatively   

adv.比较...地，相对地

参考例句：

• The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
• The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。

6 justified   

a.正当的，有理的

参考例句：

• She felt fully justified in asking for her money back. 她认为有充分的理由要求退款。
• The prisoner has certainly justified his claims by his actions. 那个囚犯确实已用自己的行动表明他的要求是正当的。

7 investigation   

n.调查，调查研究

参考例句：

• In an investigation,a new fact became known, which told against him.在调查中新发现了一件对他不利的事实。
• He drew the conclusion by building on his own investigation.他根据自己的调查研究作出结论。

8 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

9 franchisers   

n.经销商，代销商( franchiser的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Franchisers can sell things using the parent company's name. 获得授权的可以母公司的名义销售产品。 来自互联网
• Welcome home agents and franchisers to contact us! 欢迎国内各省市经销商、代理商来电来涵！ 来自互联网

10 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

11 proprietary   

n.所有权，所有的；独占的；业主

参考例句：

• We had to take action to protect the proprietary technology.我们必须采取措施保护专利技术。
• Proprietary right is the foundation of jus rerem.所有权是物权法之根基。

12 violations   

违反( violation的名词复数 )； 冒犯； 违反（行为、事例）； 强奸

参考例句：

• This is one of the commonest traffic violations. 这是常见的违反交通规则之例。
• These violations of the code must cease forthwith. 这些违犯法规的行为必须立即停止。

13 jersey   

n.运动衫

参考例句：

• He wears a cotton jersey when he plays football.他穿运动衫踢足球。
• They were dressed alike in blue jersey and knickers.他们穿着一致，都是蓝色的运动衫和灯笼短裤。

14 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。