Day 302 - 18 Nov 96 - Page 13
1 That is what he said on day 124, page 51, line 45. In
2 fact, I have two references for that. 125, page 17, line
3 13 as well. But he accepted the McDonald's only paid
4 overtime because they were forced to, which I think is
5 quite a revealing admission. So even though it was fair,
6 they were only doing it because otherwise it would be
7 illegal, and that was on day 125, page 17, line 29.
8 I think that in a nutshell sums up the situation of low pay
9 in the States.
10
11 Regarding trade unions, Mr. Beavers agreed that in the
12 early 1970s McDonald's employed an official, John Cook,
13 with the responsibility "to keep the unions out". That is
14 day 4, page 69, line 50. We quoted John Cook from a book,
15 from the Behind the Arches book, and in the book John Cook
16 had said, or was said to have said: "Unions are inimicable
17 to what we stand for and how we operate. They peddle the
18 line to their members that the boss will be forever more
19 against their interests", which of course is completely
20 true; the boss is against their interests. And that was
21 read out on day 4, page 70, line 15.
22
23 Mr. Beavers admitted he was actually -- Mr. Beavers
24 actually verified the book being made with McDonald's
25 backing. That was day 4, page 47, line 30. Then he said
26 he was aware of the fact that "John Cook organised a flying
27 squad of experienced store managers who were despatched to
28 a restaurant the same day that word came in of an attempt
29 by trade unionists to organise it." That was day 4,
30 page 70, line 33.
31
32 The book also stated that "of the 400 serious organisation
33 attempts in the early '70s none were successful", and
34 Mr. Beavers admitted this was due to "steps" taken by
35 McDonald's "to prevent trade union organisation... around
36 that time when it was actually a problem." And that is day
37 4, page 71, line 41. So really it was all around page 70
38 and 71, that evidence. Surprising enough, unions made no
39 progress in McDonald's US stores which, of course, were
40 setting a pattern for their expansion worldwide, McDonald's
41 expansion worldwide.
42
43 We questioned Mr. Beavers about the use of lie detectors on
44 staff, polygraph tests, and he admitted that in the '70s he
45 himself and company managers around the country had used
46 lie detectors -- that is day 124, page 23, line 26 -- on
47 current or potential employees and the practice only ceased
48 when it was obvious that the law was going to be passed
49 making it illegal". And that was day 124, page 17, line
50 18. He admitted that in some cases refusal to take such a
51 test would have led to dismissal. That was day 124,
52 page 18, line 56.
53
54 We heard about how the San Francisco authorities in
55 particular, the Californian authorities, basically
56 threatened legal action against McDonald's as a result of
57 all this. I am not sure of this reference here. But it
58 was apparent, I think, from Mr. Beavers' evidence that the
59 same policy against workers getting tips existed in the
60 States. And that was brought up on day 124, page 20.
