Day 143 - 27 Jun 95 - Page 62


     
     1        A.  Do you want me to read the whole article?
     2
     3   Q.   I will just ask you some questions.
     4
     5   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Just ask a question but do not do it by
     6        quoting from the article; just put what you suggest is the
     7        factual situation so that we may have Mr. Stein's response
     8        to it.
     9
    10   MR. MORRIS:  The main reason I am just going to look at the
    11        document was, in fact, the last paragraph which is from
    12        McDonald's, it says:  "McDonald's says the new providence
    13        unit meets health standards and always has done so.  It
    14        says Mr. Miller's complaints about the unit involved
    15        matters that he was responsible for handling as a
    16        trainee".  His complaint, his food and hygiene complaints,
    17        McDonald's was aware, according to this, were they not,
    18        that there had been complaints over -----
    19
    20   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Do you know whether any McDonald's person
    21        actually made that statement or a statement to that effect?
    22        A.  No, I do not, my Lord.  This is an area that I would
    23        not normally be involved in.  I think I mentioned the only
    24        reason for my involvement, or my Department's involvement,
    25        was an opinion on whether or not there was any obligation
    26        under -----
    27
    28   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Yes, I understood that.
    29
    30   MR. MORRIS:  How long does it normally take a franchisee in
    31        training before they get a result that they are either
    32        refused or accepted as a franchisee?
    33        A.  I am not responsible for franchising.
    34
    35   MR. JUSTICE BELL:  Do you know the answer to it?
    36        A.  I would be hazarding a guess, my Lord.
    37
    38   MR. MORRIS:  Is 15 months a fairly -- it was not something that
    39        struck you as unusual or anything about that?
    40        A.  You see, the difficulty I have is that most folks who
    41        are trying to become operators are generally doing it on a
    42        part-time basis.  They are working their other jobs and
    43        then what they do is they try to learn what they will need
    44        to learn to become franchisees during their off hours from
    45        other jobs.  So, that they can take a variety of different,
    46        you know, time based upon their availability and how
    47        quickly they go through the process.
    48
    49   Q.   Our claim in our pleading is that he worked 2,700 hours.
    50        That was his claim, I believe, which you would know about 
    51        if you were advised over the ----- 
    52        A.  That would seem outrageously high, frankly. 
    53
    54   Q.   It is about 50 hours a week for 15 months?
    55        A.  That would be -- this is -- I am assuming he, like
    56        other folks, have other jobs that they are principally
    57        working at.  Again, I do not know about this specific
    58        individual case, but I can just tell you in general that
    59        these are folks who are working in other positions who are
    60        working at becoming an operator on a part-time basis based

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