Trump Appointees Urged to Bow Out of McDonald's Labor Fight

Union-backed group says labor board picks have ethics conflict
Business groups claim recusal requests are a sabotage tactic

Protesters with NYC Fight for $15 gather in front of a McDonalds in New York City, on Feb. 13, 2017. — Protesters with NYC Fight for $15 gather in front of a McDonalds in New York City, on Feb. 13, 2017.
Photographer: Spencer Platt/Getty Images

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By Josh Eidelson

August 14, 2018 at 10:23 PM UTC

Updated on

August 15, 2018 at 6:00 PM UTC

This article is for subscribers only.

A union-backed group trying to win better pay for fast food workers urged two of President Donald Trump’s appointees to the National Labor Relations Board to bow out of a dispute over whether McDonald’s franchise workers were fired for supporting the “Fight for $15” movement.

The two men have a conflict of interest because both previously worked as attorneys at management-side law firms that advised franchisees on how to deal with “Fight for $15,” leaders of the union-backed movement said in a filing with the agency Tuesday.