Day 138 - 20 Jun 95 - Page 11


     
     1        in my career less to that.
     2
     3   Q.   You are now the Senior Vice President having responsibility
     4        for this aspect of the Company's business, are you not?
     5        A.  That is correct.
     6
     7   Q.   In that capacity, and as a person, how do you react to this
     8        allegation?
     9        A.  The allegation that we?
    10
    11   Q.   What is your personal reaction to the allegation that
    12        people from ethnic minorities are sacked for trying to
    13        organise within stores?
    14        A.  I have to be very specific, I am very upset over that
    15        allegation.  It is a totally untruthful allegation
    16        concerning our conduct and behaviour within the United
    17        States.  It claims we engage in illegal acts that we do not
    18        engage in.
    19
    20   Q.   Look at the top of the next column, please:  "McDonald's
    21        have a policy of preventing unionisation by getting rid of
    22        pro-union workers.  So far, this has succeeded everywhere
    23        in the world except Sweden and in Dublin after a long
    24        struggle."   There appear to be two assertions there,
    25        Mr. Stein.  First, that McDonald's has a policy of getting
    26        rid of pro-union workers, black, white, yellow or any
    27        colour, do you see that?
    28        A.  Yes, I do see that.
    29
    30   Q.   What is your comment about that allegation?
    31        A.  Rubbish, totally untrue.  That would not only be
    32        illegal but probably be one of the dumbest things a company
    33        could ever do.  You would create a martyr situation.  Your
    34        employees would never stand for that and they would rise up
    35        against you.  Either you have integrity as a company or you
    36        will go out of business.
    37
    38   Q.   Then, so far as the second part of that sentence is
    39        concerned, Mr. Stein, going back to that fairly long list
    40        of countries in the world where there is union organisation
    41        in McDonald's restaurants, or their owner/operator
    42        restaurants, how long has it been that those countries, it
    43        is not obviously one date, but how long has it been since
    44        the McDonald's operation in those countries has been
    45        organised, unionised?
    46        A.  Are you talking about Sweden and Dublin?
    47
    48   Q.   No, in the long list you gave us?
    49        A.  How long have they been organised?
    50 
    51   Q.   I can read them out to you. 
    52        A.  OK? 
    53
    54   Q.   Mexico, Sweden, Panama, Denmark?
    55        A.  Do you want to go through them one at a time?
    56
    57   Q.   All right, Mexico?
    58        A.  Since 1985?
    59
    60   Q.   Sweden?

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