McDonald's is challenging an Employment Relations
Authority (ERA) decision which awarded a teenage employee
$15,000 compensation.
In a decision last month, the ERA found Chantelle Coup was
constructively dismissed from McDonald's Kaiapoi fast food
restaurant after joining the union Unite.
Ms Coup, 19, worked for McDonald's from December 2006 until
she resigned the following August, two months after she and a
number of other Kaiapoi McDonald's employees joined the
union.
McDonald's franchisee Patrick Cornish has now filed a new
challenge which will see the matter heard in the Employment
Court.
"There are two sides to every story and we're still
investigating our options," he told The Press newspaper.
Mr Cornish said he had not ruled out an out-of-court
settlement.
Ms Coup, who now lives in Brisbane, said she was "devastated"
about the challenge.
Unite national director Mike Treen said, when the ERA
decision on Ms Coup was released, that the union often had
problems with McDonald's franchise operators.
He said they often took the decision of their employees to
join the union as a personal affront.
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