Day 140 - 22 Jun 95 - Page 51


     
     1
     2        My Lord, I can show you examples of stores, or I can tell
     3        you from my experience that there are stores in the inner
     4        city that I have seen paying higher in the suburbs, and
     5        vice versa.  It depends upon a lot of factors.
     6
     7   MS. STEEL:  Can I just ask about the leaflet we were looking at
     8        a few minutes ago at tab 92?
     9        A.  What is the page number?
    10
    11   Q.   1467.
    12        A.  OK.
    13
    14   Q.   The fifth statement: "The average suburban starting wage at
    15        McDonald's does not exceed city starting wages by more than
    16        22 cents per hour."
    17
    18        Do you think that is -- I mean, is it your view that that
    19        is not much different?
    20        A.  I do not think it is.
    21
    22   Q.   Basically, it does not really make any difference to the
    23        workers?
    24        A.  I do not think it is significant.  No, I do not.
    25
    26   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  I do not know if you have been asked:  do you
    27        remember actually seeing this before it went out?
    28        A.  No, I did not see it before it went out.
    29
    30   MS. STEEL:  If we go to tab 86, the letter from McDonald's, it
    31        is actually from Frank Geeghan to the Reverend Lafayette
    32        Gooding?
    33        A.  Yes, I have it.
    34
    35   Q.   October 15th, 1990.  The fourth paragraph:
    36
    37        "The campaign's current demand for all McDonald's
    38        restaurants to start all employees at $5 an hour is thus
    39        unfounded and violates the rights of independent business
    40        people to pay fair and competitive wages."
    41
    42        Do you agree with that statement?
    43        A.  Yes, I do.
    44
    45   Q.   So you think it would be unfair to pay wages of $5 an hour?
    46        A.  No.  I think the suggestion here is that businesses
    47        should be able to set their wage rates rather than be
    48        dictated to as what their wage rate should be.
    49
    50   Q.   To pay fair wages you leave out the "competitive"? 
    51 
    52   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Put a whole question so I can understand what 
    53        you are asking there.
    54
    55   MS. STEEL:  I am trying to phrase it.  Who would it be unfair to
    56        to pay wages of a starting rate of $5 or more an hour?
    57        A.  What is being suggested here is that these
    58        owner/operators in Philadelphia, the black owner/operators,
    59        should be allowed to set their wages as any other business
    60        people are allowed to set their wages.  That is what is

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