Chairman Urges: "Together We Can Truly Represent Interests of Franchisees"
ATLANTA (Blue MauMau) - In a surprise announcement last week, Michael J. Rodriguez, Ph.D, Chairman & CEO of the Brown Board Owners Association, told members that their organization has a desire to work closely with the Franchisee Advisory Council. The reason he gives is that their goals are almost
identical. He stated, "We recognize that FAC has the 'in' with MBE/UPS, but the BBOA has the resources to support FAC and allow it to become more independent of MBE and together. . . truly represent the interests of the franchisees."
Rodriguez said that for years the BBOA has attempted to open a dialogue with the franchisor in order to make known their concerns and the plight of the majority of the stores, and that sixty percent of the stores are still below break-even. But, he said, from the very beginning their attempts were met with derisive statements issued by MBE and all initiatives on their part were totally ignored. Rodriguez acknowledges that contrary to the wording of their franchise offering circular, MBE felt that they did not have the right to form an independent owners association. He said, "They insisted that only FAC would be recognized as the unified voice of the store owners."
But, Rodriguez said, unfortunately, they felt that FAC at the time was nothing more than a “rubber stamp” committee for the company and was entirely under its control. These actions on the part of MBE and UPS, explains Rodriguez, frustrated and angered a large percentage of the store owners that had joined the BBOA, causing many to break away. As a result, the Brown Shield Association formed in order to pursue legal remedies through a class-action lawsuit. But Rodriguez said the remainder of the BBOA membership and almost its entire Board of Directors remained true to the organization’s goals, namely change through negotiation.
Now he states, "Although we will continue to pursue relentlessly our common goals we also recognize that every store owner must do their part so that MBE/UPS can no longer blame store failures on the lack of competence on the part of the owners rather than on the true causes." He lists them as a seriously flawed business plan, and competition from their own franchisor. Rodriguez said although their association wishes their brothers and sisters in the BSA success, they are not affiliated with them in any way. "Much has changed since those early days, according to Rodriguez. "The newly elected FAC is dedicated to truly represent the interests of the store owners but unfortunately remains impeded by the restrictions imposed on it by the agreements that every member of FAC must sign. The BBOA has finally convinced the majority of store owners (not all store owners and certainly MBE is still doubtful) that we are not interested in litigation at this time and remain true to our original goals, namely negotiation rather than litigation."
The BBOA, in order to clarify its position once and for all, prepared a Position Letter, and it encourages all members to read it on its site. Rodriguez said, "You will discover that we have not only stated our concerns but also have offered some possible solutions.
In closing he states, "The most important fact that will convince our franchisor that we mean business is a large percentage of the stores acting as a unified voice through an Independent Owner’s Association spearheaded by FAC."