McDonald’s has left the US National Restaurant Association due to disagreements over employee wage policies. The fast-food giant opposes the tipped wage model supported by the association, which allows tips to count towards meeting minimum wage requirements. McDonald’s has not commented on the matter, dealing a blow to the association.

The departure comes as the association has been influential in advocating for tax measures in President Trump’s spending bill. McDonald’s CEO supports a tax exemption for gratuities but notes that it does not impact McDonald’s directly as its employees do not receive tips. The association has argued that tipped workers often earn more than the minimum wage.

For the second quarter of 2025, McDonald’s reported a net income of $2.25 billion, an 11% increase from the previous year. The chain’s exit from the association could have implications for the restaurant industry as a whole.

Read more at Yahoo Finance: McDonald’s quits National Restaurant Association over wage dispute